Top NSLA rebel killed in Kokrajhar

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, January 13: A hardcore cadre of the tiol Santhal Liberation Army (NSLA) was killed in an encounter with Assam Police near Grahampur under Srirampur police outpost in Gossaigaon subdivision of Kokrajhar district on Wednesday morning. The slain militant was identified as Ram Kishku alias Ram Hembrom.

The BTC IGP, LR Bishnoi, while talking to media persons at the conference hall of SP office said there had been an encounter with the NSLA group about 3 km from Grahampur area of Gossaigaon in the morning today at 6 am where a hardcore cadre of the NSLA, Ram Kishku alias Ram Hembrom was killed. He said the police team recovered one 7.65 mm pistol, four rounds of ammunition and two hand gredes from his possession. He also said the slain cadre was involved in several crimil activities, murder and extortion in the area.

Bishnoi said after elimiting Hembrom, the area would be peaceful to a great extent as most of the crimil activities were carried out under his command. He said the total strength of the NSLA was around 40 of which 22 have been arrested in 2015, four were killed in different encounters and the remaining cadres are involved in crimil activities. He said the linkman of NDFB (S) Khonsai Gaorao Mashahary and KLO linkman Atul Barman alias Dabla were also arrested recently from different locations which led the police to foil some crimil activities. Khonsai was planning to kidp three persons and he had already collected Rs 1 lakh from VCDC chairmen in the locality in Kachugaon area of the district, Bishnoi said, adding that the police could recover Rs. 82,000 and a mobile handset from his possession. He also said the arrest of Ray was a huge success for the police to contain crimil activities.

The Superintendent of Police (SP), Kokrajhar, SP Saikia said the operation against the militant outfits, be it NDFB (S), MULTA, KLO, NSLA and other Adivasi militant organizations would continue. He said the security forces had intensified operation for which the militant groups were facing problems. He also said the police and other security forces would continue to deal with the militant groups in the district and the region.