Militants free forest official after 12 days

Silchar, Dec 02:The United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV), a Bru (Reang) outfit, has released an abducted Assam forest department official after 12 days of captivity yesterday.

Police said here today that Narayan Nandi, who was kidnapped on November 20 from his official residence at Ramnathpur in Hailakandi district, returned home yesterday.

The militants released the Gharmora forest range officer last evening at Chawdhary Nala near Assam-Mizoram border, police said.

ULFBV had been demanding ettlement and welfare of Bru tribals in the forest areas of southern district as a precondition for the officer's release.

Over the past one week senior forest officials and the members of All Assam Forest Employees Association were engaged into continuous parley with the outfit through local tribal villagers on the issue.

UNI