NEW DELHI, Sept 7 (KUNA) -- The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), largely active in India's Northeastern state of Assam, has suffered a major jolt with 14 of their key guerrilla leaders surrendering.
An Assam government spokesperson told reporters Friday in Guwahati that the 14 ULFA guerrillas who surrendered before police Thursday in Assam's main city of Guwahati were from the rebel group's 28 and 709 battalions, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported.
"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 28th battalion, there will be some confusion among the cadres," the spokesperson said.
"All the 14 ULFA members who surrendered were 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 chief Khagen Sarma told the news agency today.
The surrendered rebels also laid down a huge amount of weapons and explosives, including AK 47 assault rifles, pistols, and grenades, the news agency said.
"Those who surrendered actually executed plans plotted by ULFA leaders from bases abroad and hence the surrender assumes significance," Sarma said.
The attacks by ULFA have so far claimed 150 lives this year.
The top ULFA leadership is reportedly based in Bangladesh . ULFA is waging an insurgency since 1979 to create "sovereign" Assam carved out of India . New Delhi has accused ULFA leadership of maintaining close links with Pakistan 's ISI to create disturbance in the country's Northeast. New Delhi has often raised with Dhaka the issue of the presence of Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) from Northeast including ULFA on Bangladeshi soil . However, Dhaka denies this charge.
During India-Bangladesh Home Secretary level talks here last month, New Delhi had asked Dhaka to act against the IIGs from India's Northeast who were using Bangladesh as a base for carrying out terror strikes on Indian soil. Dhaka is yet to respond to New Delhi's demand in concrete terms. (end) dr.bz.
KUNA 071508 Sep 07NNNN