Itanagar, March 3: A hardcore insurgent of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) surrendered to security forces at Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district on Tuesday, officials said.
A defence spokesman said that based on credible intelligence inputs about the presence of a hardcore cadre of the ULFA (I) faction in the Horu Chinghan area, a focused operation was conducted by the Khonsa Battalion of the Assam Rifles from its Company Operating Base (COB) at Noglo.
On reaching the suspected location, sources were activated and tasked with establishing contact with the insurgent and persuading him to surrender, the spokesman said. Sustained operational pressure and persistent negotiations eventually convinced the insurgent to shun the path of violence and return to the mainstream.
The efforts yielded a positive response, and the insurgent agreed to lay down arms. He was subsequently taken into custody at COB Noglo. The surrendered militant has been identified as self-styled 2nd Lieutenant Bitul Baruah (31), a member of the ULFA (I) faction.
During the surrender, he deposited one .40 calibre pistol with a magazine and two live rounds of .40 calibre ammunition. An official statement said that the successful surrender underscores the effectiveness of intelligence-based operations and the humane, persuasive approach adopted by the Khonsa Battalion of the Assam Rifles.
The force remains committed to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and continues to motivate misguided youth to return to the mainstream, it added. Khonsa, a small hill town nestled in a valley and surrounded by the Himalayas, is the headquarters of Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh.
The ULFA (I), led by 68-year-old Paresh Baruah, has been involved in insurgent activities mainly in Assam for over four decades. Meanwhile, security forces in Arunachal Pradesh last month foiled a major terror plot by arresting a militant of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition during a joint operation in the border district of Longding.
IANS
