The Army raided a hideout of the militants at a place near the India-Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district on Monday night which eventually led to the apprehension of the rebels

GUWAHATI: In a major breakthrough, the security forces apprehended six hardcore insurgents belonging to G Bidai-Batha faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Assam.

According to defence sources, joint teams of the Army and the police laid multiple ambushes based on the receipt of intelligence inputs about the presence of militants at Raimana near Akshaiguri in Kokrajhar district.

Late Monday night, the security forces noticed six persons moving suspiciously in the area. On being challenged, they attempted to escape taking advantage of the darkness and thick foliage. However, the personnel managed to nab all of them.

One of the rebels, Bahaigya Basumatary aka Belarwm, is the outfit’s cultural secretary-cum-deputy finance secretary. Based on the accounts of the rebels, the personnel searched a hideout nearby and recovered arms and ammunition.

Of the six apprehended, three belong to Kokrajhar district while the three others are from Chirang district.

“The apprehension of this group is a major setback to the outfit. Due to hard living conditions, sustained pressure by the security forces and lack of local support, most of the cadres are disillusioned and demoralised. The security forces will continue to exert pressure through sustained operations till all militants are neutralised,” a defence source said.