Assam: Michael Deka Phukan appointed as new Deputy Commander-in-Chief of ULFA (I)

GUWAHATI: Major General Michael Deka Phukan has been appointed as the new Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the United Liberation Front of Axom (Independent). The appointment of Michael Deka Phukan as the new Deputy Commander-in-Chief comes on the heels of the surrender of ULFA rebel Drishti Rajkhowa who formerly held that post.

Drishti Rajkhowa, 50, was the deputy-commander-in-chief of United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) who recently surrendered in South West Garo Hills in Meghalaya, bordering Bangladesh.

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For close to three decades, Rajkhowa was operating from ULFA hideouts in Bangladesh and was active in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya and in lower Assam.

Military intelligence members were in touch with Drishti Rajkhowa for some time and had been trying to convince him to surrender after Bangladesh intensified operations against militant groups from the northeast.

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Barricades were placed at all vulnerable points on National Highway-62 on Wednesday after they received inputs that of Drishti Rajkowa was likely to surrender.

"At around 6 00 pm, received info that two vehicles are passing through Nongal police station suspiciously," the police said.

At around 6:30 pm, the police said one of its teams detained two vehicles. During verification, it was found that Drishti Rajkowa was inside one of the vehicles.

Along with him, three others- 25-year-old Rup Jyoti Rabha, 22-year-old Babul Rabha and 27-year-old Rahul Hazarika, were detained. It was later disclosed that the other 3 were his bodyguards.

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