Security forces recovered a large cache of weapons including 192 grenades and rocket-propelled grenades after 12-days of search inside jungles in western Assam's Chirang district, close to Bhutan border on Monday.
The area falls under Bodoland Territorial Region.
Based on intelligence inputs, a team of army's Red Horns Division, Assam Police, SSB and COBRA forces launched the search and recovered the weapons at Lalpatthar forest area.
"The relentless search for 12 days yielded the recovery of a huge cache of firearms of various calibre, grenades, explosives, RPG/mortar bombs. The operation has resulted in the second biggest unearthing of arms in the area in recent times," public relations officer (defence), Lt. Col. P Khongsai said.
Although the statement did not reveal the number of weapons, sources told DH that the recovery included 192 hand grenades, 14 Rocket Propelled Grenades, three rifles, seven pistols, ammunitions of AK series rifles, INSAS rifles and magazines.
This comes months after all four factions of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), a rebel group had laid down their weapons after signing a new "comprehensive agreement" with the Centre in December. The NDFB has already been disbanded.
The recovery came as a relief to security forces ahead of the elections to be held for Bodoland Territorial Council, which had witnessed violence in the past.
In another operation, Assam Rifles personnel nabbed three alleged cadres of ULFA (Independent), another militant group, near Chasa village in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday. The troops also recovered two foreign-made .32mm pistols, three magazines, 39 live rounds of ammunition and some documents, Khongsai said.