Silchar, July 5: Two BSF battalions, trained in counter-insurgency operations, have taken up position in rebel-infested pockets of North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong districts.

Confirming this, inspector-general of BSF’s Assam-Meghalaya frontier, P.K. Mishra, expressed full faith in the troops. He was addressing the media last night at the BSF’s headquarters in Masimpur near Silchar. He is also in-charge of the Cachar-Mizoram-Manipur sector.

Militant outfits like the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), United Democratic Peoples’ Solidarity, Hmar People’s Conference (Democratic) and the Kuki National Front have set up bases in the twin hill districts.

Earlier, the counter-guerrilla operations in the two districts were conducted by the army, CRPF and state armed police.

Mishra expressed concern over the mushrooming of madarsas, which are used as seminaries and free hostels for the poor Muslim children near the Indo-Bangladesh border in Cachar, Karimganj and Dhubri districts.

“It is a disturbing trend,” he said. “Police and central intelligence agencies have already been alerted.”

He, however, said the BSF had no specific information about anti-national activities taking place in these madarsas.

“In the past two years, in Karimganj district alone eight such madarsas have been set up along the international border where fencing is yet to begin.”

According to Mishra, the rate of infiltration into Assam has dipped. Last year, the BSF apprehended nearly 1,000 infiltrators. He said improvement in economic condition of villagers in neighbouring Bangladesh would further reduce their number.

The BSF had recently been enthused by the change in the attitude of the Bangladesh Rifles. To make the relation more cordial, the BSF has proposed to hold jamborees and cultural soirees near border sites.