August 24, 2021: Continuing with the return of National Liberation Front of Bodoland (NLFB) militants to the mainstream, another 67 leaders and cadres of the recently formed Bodo militant outfit of Assam is expected to surrender on Tuesday, sources said.

NLFB’s platoon commander B Banathir is expected to lead the insurgents who would be laying down their arms. They are expected to come from Kiyajuli in the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Earlier this month a total of 46 members of the newly formed NLFB had surrendered with a huge cache of arms and ammunition. The outfit's chief, M Batha along with 22 other insurgents had laid down their arms at Lalpani in Udalguri district on July 22. So far 69 insurgents of the outfit have laid down their arms.

NLFB was floated after some resentful and disappointed members of the erstwhile National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by Batha returned to the forest. NLFB was mostly involved in extortion in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

Since its formation a few months ago, one member of the outfit has been killed in a police encounter and 27 others have been arrested, according to Assam Police sources.

Batha, a former NDFB militant, was among the 1,615 insurgents of all NDFB factions who surrendered on January 30 last year after the signing of the third Bodo Peace Accord. However, he was not satisfied with the implementation of the accord, and went underground after the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections in December last year.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on July 12 informed the assembly that 3,439 militants of various groups have surrendered since 2016, when the BJP came to power in the state.