Jan. 9: Nine NDFB (Songbijit) cadres were arrested from different places in Assam today. Among them, seven were allegedly involved in the December 23 carnage at Pakhriguri in Kokrajhar district.

Kokrajhar additional superintendent of police Surjit Singh Paneswar said seven NDFB (S) cadres, including the second-in-command of the outfit’s Kokrajhar platoon, Milan Mushahary alias Mithinga, 24, were apprehended in an operation today and a cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

Police claimed the militants were involved in the massacre of Adivasi villagers at Pakhriguri under Serfanguri police station on December 23 and the killing of Hindi-speaking persons at Athiabari, also under Serfanguri police station, on National Highway 31 on January 17 last year.

Besides Mithinga, the others have been identified as Goutam Moholia, 29, Joyanta Muchahari, 26, Bina Basumatary, 27, Swamkar Brahma, 22, Khanda Narzary and Deuthwai Basumatary.

The arrest of the militants led to the recovery of seven rifles (four AK-47, one HK-33, one M-16 rifle and one Insas), four 9mm pistols, 11 magazines, 450 rounds of live ammunition (300 of AK-47, 130 of HK-33, and 20 of 9mm pistol), 12 grenades, 12 pouches, four bags of medicines and camouflage attire. These were unearthed from a jungle 4km north of Thaisuguri under Kachugaon police station in Gossaigaon subdivision of Kokrajhar district.

The police said these weapons were the same as those displayed by NDFB (S) militants Jablang and Mithinga before the media and subsequently aired by electronic media channels in June 2014 in a forest near Khausi Bazar under Serfanguri police station.

On January 6, security forces had recovered 8kg of explosives from No. 3 Rupnathpur village under Kachugaon police station after the arrest of NDFB (S) cadre Gangar Basumatary alias Ganga from Alipurduar district of West Bengal on January 4. Police said the explosive was hidden in the backyard of Basumatary’s house.

In Sonitpur district, the sub-divisional police officer of Gohpur, Rupam Phukan, said two NDFB (S) militants, Anjan Basumatary alias Anfai, 25, and Ghanakanta Wari, 29, were arrested from Rongpur village under Gohpur police station last night. One .22 pistol, a magazine and six rounds of live ammunition were recovered from them.

BTAD inspector-general of police L.R. Bishnoi said 24 NDFB (S) militants have been apprehended from the area since the operation against the outfit was intensified after the December 23 massacre.

With security forces intensifying operations against the outfit in the violence-affected areas of Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts, NDFB (S) militants are trying to build a base in Golaghat district of Assam and Dimapur in Nagaland.

Additional superintendent of police, Golaghat, Numal Mahato told The Telegraph that the police were determined to foil attempts by the NDFB (S) to find a refuge in Golaghat and Dimapur.

He said Dimapur has always been a favourite destination for militants because of the easy availability of illegal arms.

The police had previously arrested a woman NDFB (S) cadre, who was coming from Dimapur, at Rangajan in Golaghat district and had also recovered cartridges of Insas rifle from her.

There are pockets in Golaghat (145km from Sonitpur and 85km from Dimapur) that can be used by the outfit as possible hideouts and the police are keeping a strict vigil in those areas.

On January 5, a suspected NDFB (S) cadre was killed in an encounter with the police in the Bogijaan area along the Golaghat-Karbi Anglong border. Two grenades, a 9mm pistol, seven rounds of cartridges and two mobile phones were recovered from the site.

According to the police, a police patrol came face-to-face with three youths coming on a motorcycle around 6.30pm. When the police signalled them to stop, they hurled a grenade but it did not explode after which they opened fire from automatic weapons.

In retaliatory action by police, one of them died on the spot but the other two managed to escape. Combing operations are on in the area to apprehend them.

The suspected NDFB (S) cadre who was killed in the encounter has been identified as Birat Basumatary of Gohpur in Sonitpur district.

Police sources said there is every possibility that NDFB (S) militants are using Bogijaan as a transit route to Dimapur. From Bogijaan one can reach Koilamati in Karbi Anglong from where they move to Bokajaan, also in Karbi Anglong, and finally reach Dimapur via areas like Upper Deopani and Naojan without using the NH 39.

In February last year, the police had arrested five NDFB (S) militants, including a self-styled sergeant major, from Bokajaan and recovered an AK-56 rifle, two magazines, 28 rounds of live ammunition, a 7.65 pistol and five bullets from them. The outfit’s chairman, Songbijit Ingti Kathar, originally hails from west Karbi Anglong.

Mahato has appealed to the people to inform the police if they notice any suspicious movement of any unknown person.