GUWAHATI: Over 1500 youths from Assam have joined different militant organizations since 2016.
This was informed by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
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Replying to a query by the opposition Congress in the Assam assembly, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that a total of 1561 youths from the state joined five different militant outfits since 2016.
The Assam chief minister said that 811 youths joined NDFB from 2016 to 2022, 164 youths joined NLFB, 351 youths joined PDCK, 203 youths joined ULFA-I and 32 youths joined UPRF, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma stated in a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia.
CM Sarma also added that nearly 8000 youths belonging to different militant outfits also laid down their arms during the same period.
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“During the period, 7,935 cadres of 23 different militant outfits surrendered and joined in the mainstream. Out of the 4,516 cadres of NDFB, 465 cadres of NLFB, 915 cadres of KPLT, 388 cadres of PDCK, 378 cadres of UPLA, 246 cadres of KLNLF, 181 cadres of DNLA, 178 cadres of ADF, 169 cadres of UGPO, 105 cadres of ULFA, 87 cadres of NSLA, 77 cadres of TLA, 60 cadres of KLF have surrendered,” Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said in his written reply.
He also said that a total of 84 persons have also been arrested by the police in the state for alleged Jihadi activities since 2016.
The arrested persons allegedly had links with of terrorist groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Hizbul Mujahideen and the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).
Notably, in the year 2016, the BJP stormed to power in Assam, overthrowing the three-time Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in the state.