3 Bodo militants arrested for Assam killings

Guwahati, Jan 15: The NIA on Thursday said it had arrested three Bodo militants from Nagaland for their alleged involvement in the massacre of adivasis in Assam.

A statement from the National Investigation Agency said the operation against the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was carried out along with Nagaland Police Wednesday.

The three NDFB leaders - Ajoi Basumatary alias B. Buhum (32), Dilip Basumatary alias Baisa alias Lambu (40) and Khamrei Basumatary alias Udla (35) - were arrested from Kohima in Nagaland.

The killings in Sonitpur district Dec 23 were carried out under the direction and leadership of Ajoi Basumatary, the NIA said.

Dilip Basumatary "is also a dreaded terrorist responsible for coordination activities of the NDFB in the reserved forest areas of Assam along the India-Bhutan and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border", it said.

The statement said he was also "actively involved in the conspiracy" behind the recent killings in Assam.

The NIA said Khamrei Basumatary was involved in the killings in Kokrajhar Dec 23, and also in Baksa district in May last year.

Seven mobile phones and documents related to the NDFB were seized from them.

The army's Red Horns division had Wednesday arrested a senior NDFB leader from Goalpara district.

The security forces had recently launched a series of operations against the NDFB, and the NIA had registered four cases over the recent violence. NIA Director General Sharad Kumar also visited the violence affected areas.

Over 30 Bodo militants have so far been arrested in the last 10 days during the intensified operation along the Bhutan border in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

The NDFB killed over 75 people in three districts - Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Chirang - Dec 23. The violence also displaced over two lakh people across the three districts and Udalguri. Some of the violence-hit areas are part of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).

IANS