A top NDFB(S) leader identified as Jwblang – self-styled platoon commander of the outfit’s Kokrajhar platoon – was killed in an encounter with security forces close to the Indo-Bhutan border on Saturday afternoon, with the police saying he had personally led one of the five simultaneous attacks of December 23 in which over 80 people, mostly Adivasi settlers were killed. Two others involved in the attacks were arrested too.

“Jwblang was killed in a joint operation carried out by the Assam Police and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in a forest area near Khaisibari under Serfanguri police station at around 1:45 PM today. He had himself led one of the two attacks on Adivasi villagers on December 23,” LR Bishnoi, IGP for the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) areas, said.

The security forces also recovered an AK-56 assault rifle, two hand-grenade and 22 rounds of live ammunition from the spot after the dreaded terrorist was killed, IGP Bishnoi said. Jwblang was among 12 top NDFB(S) militants on whom the Assam Police had announced cash rewards of Rs 5 lakh each in January in 2014. Security forces are also on the look-out for another top NDFB(S) leader G Bidai alias Bishnu Goyari, who had carried out the plan for the December 23 attacks, and also carries a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head.

IGP Bishnoi said two other NDFB(S) cadres known as Genda and Bullet were on the apprehended during another operation inside a forest also close to the indo-Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district. The Assam Police and Army troops had on Friday arrested eight other NDFB(S) militants in forests close to the Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district. With this, the entire Kokrajhar platoon of the NDFB(S) barring two or three has been neutralized, the IGP claimed.

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