By IANS
Guwahati : The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has suffered a major setback with 14 of their key leaders surrendering before authorities, officials said Friday.
A government spokesperson said the 14 ULFA rebels who surrendered before police Thursday in Assam’s main city of Guwahati were from the outfit’s 28 and 709 battalions.
“All the 14 ULFA members who surrendered were committed leaders and involved in many of the recent subversive acts in the state. Their surrender is surely going to be a major setback for the outfit,” Assam police intelligence department chief Khagen Sarma told IANS.
The surrendered rebels also deposited a huge cache of weapons and explosives, including AK 47 assault rifles, pistols, and grenades.
This was one of the biggest surrenders since 2005 when ULFA’s publicity chief along with a large number of cadres joined the mainstream.
“The 28 battalion of the ULFA is very active in eastern Assam and most of the attacks were being carried out by them. Now with nine of the 14 of those who surrendered belonging to the 28 battalion, there is bound to be some confusion among the cadres,” a senior police official said.
Most of those who surrendered were working in the ‘field’ and were directly involved in the ‘operations’ the ULFA launched to target civilians by way of bombings.
“Those who surrendered actually executed plans plotted by ULFA leaders from bases abroad and hence the surrender assumes significance,” Sarma said.
The ULFA, a rebel group fighting for an independent homeland since 1979, is blamed by police for a spurt in attacks and bombings in which about 150 people have been killed so far this year.