33 militants surrender in Assam

Nearly 33 militants surrendered and laid down their explosives, arms and ammunition in Tezpur town of Assam on Saturday. The anti-talk faction of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) joined the main stream. Welcoming the misguided youngsters to the mainstream, a senior paramilitary officer Shakti Gurung urged all the insurgent groups to follow suit. The rebels deposited three assault rifles, 24 pistols, nine hand grenades along with a large cache of explosives and ammunition. Assam is one of seven states in the remote northeast racked by insurgency, connected to India by a thin strip of land and surrounded by Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and Bhutan.