The Hindu : National : Kamtapur Liberation Organisation nearly decimated: police

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Wednesday, Sep 08, 2004

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Kamtapur Liberation Organisation nearly decimated: police

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, SEPT. 7. After five years of spreading terror in parts of north Bengal through killings, abductions and extortions, the militant Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), which has been seeking a separate State, is close to being wiped out, claim the West Bengal police.

In one of the biggest swoops in recent times, seven members of its "action squad" were arrested and a large cache of sophisticated arms seized near the India-Bangladesh border two days ago.

"The near-decimation of the KLO is the result of a continuous onslaught by the security forces against the militants who were substantially weakened and driven out of their hide-outs during the operations by the Royal Bhutan Army in December-January," the Inspector-General of Police, North Bengal, V. Mishra, told The Hindu . over telephone from Siliguri today. The police believe that what remains of the KLO, "are just two or three action squad members and another three KLO leaders suspected to be in hiding in Bangladesh."

Those arrested recently had sneaked into Cooch Behar district from Bangladesh with "plans to commit acts of sabotage, recruit people from among the locals and take them back to Bangladesh for training in arms." Though nearly the entire outfit has been "neutralised," what remains a matter of concern for the police is that "the ULFA which is active in Assam could always try to revive the KLO by providing men, money and arms given the links between the two."

Militants rehabilitated

The rehabilitation of surrendered KLO militants is on "in full swing," according to Mr. Mishra. "We have drawn up a list of 300 former KLO militants who will be provided self-employment opportunities", he said. "Last month, two batches comprising 100 surrendered militants were given training in driving, initiated into bamboo cultivation and some provided with rickshaw vans," he added.

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