Five ULFA ultras, three NDFB militants held in Asom

Guwahati, Jan 13 (UNI) Five suspected ULFA militants, including a linkman of the outfit, and three NDFB ultras were nabbed during search operations in Asom today.

Army sources informed that two ULFA extremists were arrested at Tingrai and two others from Naholia area in Dibrugarh district.

An ULFA overground worker was arrested at Nipunkheti in Tinsukia district. Medical instruments, several copies of the outfit's mouthpiece 'Swadhinata', a combat dress and 100 liquor bottles were recovered from him.

The Army had intensified search operations across the state as well as neighbouring Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh after the ULFA's carnage in the state last week.

In another incident, three NDFB militants were arrested from Gossaigaon area in this district.

The sources said the militants were picked up yesterday when they had come to retrieve three motorbikes abandoned at the spot following a chase by the Army.

Ultras of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), engaged in a ceasefire currently, were returning to an undisclosed location on the three bikes.

When the Army patrol party signalled the group to stop, they tried to escape.

The militants abandoned the bikes at a distance and escaped on foot.

Three cadres were arrested when they came to take the bikes.

It was not ascertained whether the arrested ultras were the same, who had escaped earlier.

UNI