1,040 militants of 5 outfits surrender in Assam

The militants deposited 338 arms, including 58 AK series rifles, 11 M-16 guns and four LMGs.

Dreaded militant Ingti Kathar Songbijit and 1,039 others belonging to five outfits on Tuesday laid down arms before Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to return to the mainstream.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said his government is working to make Assam a terror-free state.(HT file)

The militants belong to People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), Karbi People's Liberation Tiger (KPLT), Kuki Liberation Front (KLF) and United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA). Songbijit is the chief of PDCK. He was earlier the commander-in-chief of the banned National Democratic Front of Boroland. He was involved in several incidents of massacres, mostly of the people from minority communities, in the erstwhile Bodoland Territorial Area Districts.

Songbijit was sidelined after the Ranjan Daimary faction of NDFB suspended operations. He later formed the PDCK in Karbi Anglong district. Welcoming the 1,040 surrenderers from Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts into the mainstream, Sonowal said his government is working to make Assam a terror-free state. "We are giving all possible support to the youths coming back to the society. We are giving financial help as well as logistic support. We will continue to do that," he added.

The militants deposited 338 arms, including 58 AK series rifles, 11 M-16 guns and four LMGs, the Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Hiren Chandra Nath said. A formal peace agreement will be signed by the government with the insurgent groups within the next two days, he said.