Altogether 1,100 cadres of eight Adivasi rebel outfits who had signed a peace agreement with the central and Assam governments formally deposited their arms to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday.
The representatives of each outfit deposited their arms at a ceremony here. These groups have been on ceasefire since 2016.
More than 300 arms, including AK series rifles, light machine guns and other weapons, and 200 of these were displayed at the venue of the surrender ceremony.
The office-bearers of the Adivasi Welfare and Development Council also took oath on the occasion. The council was formed as a part of the peace agreement signed by the groups by the Centre and the Assam government in September last year to ensure the rehabilitation of the cadres who were living in designated camps since 2016.
The outfits are All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), AANLA (FG), Birsa Commando Force (BCF), BCF (BT), Santhal Tiger Force, Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam (ACMA), ACMA (FC) and Adivasi People’s Army (APA).
Heroin seized
Heroin worth over Rs 6 crore was seized in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district and two persons were arrested, police said on Thursday.
A joint team of the state police and CRPF raided a house in Lahorijan in the Khatkhati police station area near the Nagaland border late on Wednesday, they said. The forces were allegedly attacked, with stones being thrown at it. The police then opened fire, SP Kumar Saikia said.
PTI
