Guwahati: A senior leader of Bodo tribe militant group, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit), Khamkhang was gunned down by a joint team of Army and Assam Police at Batasipur of Sonitpur district in Assam on Tuesday morning.
The slain militant leader was the self-styled platoon commander of Sonitpur district of the outfit, wasinvolved in planning and execution of the gruesome killings of innocent Adivasis by the group on December 23 last year. He had become synonym for terror in the area and was particularly notorious for indulging in kidnapping for ransom, extortion and killings. A pistol, live ammunition and other war like stores were recovered from the slain ultra.
Acting on specific information about presence of the senior militant leader in the area, a joint team of Army and Police launched search operation in the area. A security source informed that on being challenged by the troops the militant leader lobbed a grenade and opened fire and was killed in the ensuing retaliatory fire by the men in uniform.
It has been construed a major success by the security forces in the fight against terror as Khamkhang’s name was being considered by the NDFB(S) hierarchy for appointment as its commander-in- chief in place of Bidai, in order to rejuvenate the group that has been crippled by relentless operations that have been conducted against them by the security forces.
Government of India has already ruled out any possibility of holding talks with the NDFB(S) in the wake of dastardly killing of over 70 Adivasi by the outfit last year. The security forces have been instructed to wipe out the terror group through sustained operations. The outfit’s chairman I K Songbijit is suspected to have taken shelter in Myanmar and maintain close ties with ULFA (Independent) and NSCN-K.
