The outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on Tuesday suffered a major setback with 42 rebels surrendering along with a huge cache of arms and explosives, officials said.
A police spokesperson said four militants of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), including a woman cadre, also laid down arms at a surrender ceremony in western Baksa district.
"We surrendered as there is total confusion in the outfit after the NDFB suffered a split. There is lot of corruption as well in the outfit," said B. Sudem, one of the NDFB cadres who surrendered.
The militants laid down a huge cache of weapons, including AK 56 rifles, pistols, revolvers, grenades, besides 50 kg of TNT explosives.
"It was a major blow to the NDFB as most of them surrendered due to growing frustration," Baksa district police chief P.K. Dutta said. "Some more NDFB militants are expected to surrender soon."
A surrendered NDFB leader said ULFA top commander Hira Sarania had on several occasions visited the Baksa designated camp of the NDFB before the Oct 30 serial explosions in the state, which left more than 100 people killed.
"I saw Hira Sarania visiting our camp and meeting our leader Rifi Khang before the serial explosions," said Ajay Ramchiary, another NDFB rebel who joined the mainstream Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}"I saw Hira Sarania visiting our camp and meeting our leader Rifi Khang before the serial explosions," said Ajay Ramchiary, another NDFB rebel who joined the mainstream Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}The NDFB is operating a ceasefire since 2005 with New Delhi although the group is blamed for the serial Assam explosions along with the ULFA and the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI).