The unified command of the military and intelligence provided more information on the surrender of Drishti Rajkhowa, the second-in-command of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) militant group.
Rajkhowa had surrendered to authorities in Meghalaya yesterday and was then moved to Assam.
The Indian Army had deployed in close coordination with intelligence agencies, Assam Police and Meghalaya Police, a press release said today, to carry out Operation Malakand on November 10, which resulted in the surrender of Rajkhowa and four of his associates -Rahul Hazarika, Yashin Ali, Rup Jyoti Rabha and Babul Rabha, identified by Meghalaya Police in a separate press release.
The state police said that they had fixed pickets at various points along National Highway 62 and then intercepted two vehicles with Assam plates containing Rajkhowa and members of the security forces.
The surrender “has certainly dealt a severe blow to the ulterior motives of ULFA (I) which had been trying to gain prominence and revive insurgency in lower Assam by undertaking large scale recruitment,” the unified command said.
Rajkhowa was reportedly in Bangladesh until a few weeks ago before pressure from the authorities in the other country forced him to cross over into Meghalaya. On October 20 the police informed that a firefight with ULFA (I) militants had broken out in South Garo Hills, with Rajkhowa only just managing to escape.
