Six Rengma Naga rebels held in Karbi Anglo

JORHAT: Six militants of the Rengma Naga Hills Protection Force (RNHPF) were arrested in a joint operation of police and CRPF from the Borpathar area in Bokajan subdivision of Karbi Anglong district on Saturday. Five Chinese grenades, as many rifles and ammunition were found on them.
According to police, the arrested militants were allegedly involved in the recent violence in the hill district. They opened fire on Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants, leaving three of them dead on the spot during a gunbattle between the two groups on December 27 in which four villagers died in crossfire.

"In a joint operation of the police and army, six cadres of RNHPF were arrested from the Borpathar area on Saturday. Some arms and ammunition were also found on them," said SP (Karbi Anglong) Mugdhajyoti Mahanta. He added that the arrested Naga militants were allegedly involved in firing at Khouni village on December 27. Police registered a case against them under Arms Act and produced them before a local court in Diphu on Saturday.

The RNHPF is a newly formed militant outfit based in Nagaland. It was formed in December, 2012 with Ehang Rengma as their commander in chief. According to police records, they have only 25 cadres and all of them belong to the Rengma Naga community.

In another joint operation of police and CRPF, four KPLT linkmen were arrested from the Borpather area in the sub division. Subdivisional police officer (Bokajan) Sankar Raimedhi said the newly deployed 10 companies of CRPF, in association with police, detained 40 persons from separate locations on Friday night and started interrogation. "After interrogation, we arrested four of them. They are KPLT linkmen and did some subversive activities on behalf of the militant group. We have found some materials against them," he said.

Earlier, police arrested sixteen KPLT linkmen from different places of the subdivision for their alleged involvement in killing villagers and burning down houses of Rengma Naga villagers at Khuoni, Borpathar and Middlegaon village. Six villagers and three KPLT militants were killed and at least 30 houses burnt down in the ethnic violence that began on December 27.

~TOI