Assam: 1179 militants of two insurgent groups surrender arms in Hailakandi

A total of 1179 militants of two Reang insurgent groups, the Bru Liberation Army Union (BLAU) and the United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA) laid down their arms on December 12 in a ceremony held in Assam’s Hailakandi district 

The two Reang insurgent groups were operating in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of southern Assam.
1179 members of the two insurgent outfits formally surrendered at the playground of Charlmers Memorial Higher Secondary School in Katlicherra. Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary and Minister Pijush Hazarika were present on the occasion.

Additionally, the militants also surrendered around 335 numbers of firearms and around 382 numbers of ammunitions during the ceremony. 

The Superintendents of Police of the Hailakandi, Cachar, and Karimganj districts have been requested to display the arms that will be surrendered by the militants during the ceremony.

The Union government, the state governments of Mizoram and Tripura, and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) had reached an agreement in 2018 regarding the repatriation of Bru families and had begun negotiations with the organizations to return to the mainstream.

The police said that both militant groups were active in the 1990s along the Assam-Mizoram border, particularly in the Hailakandi district. They were alleged to have been involved in the murder of BJP leader Pratul Deb, who had returned to India from London after retiring, as well as cases of extortion, kidnapping, and other illegal activities.

Also read : Assam: Over 1000 Bru militants to surrender along with 335 firearms and 382 ammunitions on December 12