Kokrajhar, Oct. 22: Security forces are yet to recover the seven Insas rifles, which were snatched by the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) rebels of the Songbijit faction from 135 battalion (territorial army), Ecological Task Force, in the Khalashi area near Saralbangha river in Kokrajhar district yesterday.

A senior police officer in Kokrajhar said a search operation was on in the area to recover the missing arms and arrest the group involved.

The battalion was planting saplings when a group of over 50 militants came and took away the arms at gunpoint around 9.30am. They also stormed the nearby Ultapani forest office and took away four walkie-talkies.

Khalashi is about 45km while Ultapani is about 50km from Kokrajhar town.

Sources in the police said the army did not lodge an FIR regarding the missing rifles. The forest department, however, filed an FIR with the police on the missing walkie-talkies.

“The jawans were outnumbered by the militants,” a source said.

Arms snatched

Suspected NDFB (S) militants today snatched three 303 rifles, one 315 rifle, walkie-talkies, torch lights and mobile phones from the forest guard at Siphajhar camp in Kahitema range inside Manas National Park in Baksa district of BTC today.

The militants later also went to nearby Chalabghat camp and took away one walkie-talkie set.

Sources said a group of armed militants came and took away the rifles and other materials belonging to the forest guards. No one was injured in the incident.