Dhubri, June 6: An arms factory suspected to have been run by the activists of Rabha Viper Army was busted at Khamri under Dudhnoi police station of Goalpara district in the wee hours today.

Two militants were also arrested while huge quantity of arms manufacturing instruments along with finished arms were seized in the joint operation by police and the CRPF.

A police source in Dudhnoi said the two suspected rebels, Akshay Rabha, 37, and Duta Rabha, 28, were suspected to be gun manufacturers and activists of the Rabha outfit.

The source said three assault rifles resembling Insas and two air guns were recovered from the factory along with various small and large-size instruments used in making arms.

Goalpara superintendent of police Luise Aind said the police and CRPF jawans launched an operation in and around the area under Rongjuli police station since May 30 after kidnapping of an 18-year-old student, Pranjal Nath, from Rongjuli by suspected Rabha Viper Army activists.

The security personnel had definite information of the abductors taking shelter in the area with Pranjal, Aind said.

“Unable to bear the mounting pressure of intensive operation by security forces, the rebels released Pranjal on June 3. However, we continued with the operation as we had also information about the gun factory,” he said.

Aind said the weapons recovered from the factory were well finished and resemble Insas category but are not automatic. The superintendent of police said the two arrested militants were being interrogated and investigation was on as how and from where they had procured all these.

It may be mentioned here that on April 27, the self-styled commander-in-chief of Rabha Viper Army, Sunil Rabha alias Chinese, was apprehended for the third time by the army and handed over to the police in Goalpara.

Rabha, who was involved in a number of killings, abduction and extortion in Goalpara and part of Kamrup districts, including abduction of a railway official from Dudhnoi last year, was arrested twice within a span of two years.

However, on both the occasions, he managed to get bail and returned to the organisation, a source said.

On April 28, a day after the rebel leader’s arrest, army jawans apprehended the finance secretary of the group, Janaki Rabha, and the bullet-riddled body of a cadre, Sunil Rabha, was recovered in Goalpara.

Intelligence sources in Goalpara said the Rabha Viper Army was active on the Assam-Meghalaya border and was involved in abduction and extortion.

The outfit, the most potent organisation at the grassroots level, provides logistic support to both Ulfa and the NDFB and keeps liaison with the Garo National Army of Meghalaya, the source said.