(IN): Militants lay siege on Kaziranga camp

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Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081126/jsp/guwahati/story_10164827.jsp

Militants lay siege on Kaziranga camp

 

A STAFF REPORTER

 

Guwahati, Nov. 25: Six armed Karbi militants climbed onto a camp-on- stilts

in Kaziranga National Park last night, held three guards hostage, ate their

dinner and left early this morning with a service rifle.

 

Though militants are known to use the national park to hide, this is the

first time that any group has laid siege on an anti-poaching camp.

 

Around 10.30pm, the group, suspected to be part of the Karbi-Longri North

Cachar Hills Liberation Front, surrounded the Paharline camp under Kohora

range, in the foothills of Karbi Anglong near Hathikhuli tea estate.

 

While six militants climbed onto the camp-on-stilts, several others stood on

guard below.

 

One spoke in Assamese while the rest used a tribal dialect, the guards later

said.

 

Though the guards had walkie-talkies, the rebels were quick to ensure that

they were not used.

 

" They stayed all night. The leader of the group even had food cooked by the

forest guards. They left this morning with a .315 rifle belonging to the

forest guards, " park director S.N. Buragohain said.

 

Interestingly, there were two other .303 rifles, but the militants took away

only the .315 rifle, which is commonly used by forest guards.

 

While the .303 rifles can be used only by security personnel, the .315

rifles can be used by anyone with a licence.

 

The director declined to divulge the names of the three guards who were held

hostage but said two were homeguards and the third a forest guard.

 

This morning, senior police and forest official visited the camp in Kohora,

where a rhino was shot dead by poachers early this year.

 

Militant activities have increased over the past month around the national

park, the director said.

 

A few days back, rebels fired indiscriminately from the foothills,

triggering panic among the forest staff.

 

A police official at Kohora outpost said there were reports of militant

movement along the Karbi Anglong foothills at night.

 

" It is difficult to keep tabs on these armed militants since they climb down

from the hill covered with thick jungles and flee when we try to intercept

them, " he said.

 

Regarding the militant group targeting the forest camp, the official said

they probably wanted a safe place to hide for the night.

 

Sources said some Karbi rebels had served extortion notices to a few

businessmen who had establishments along the highway between Kaliabor to

Numaligarh.

 

Last month, two unidentified rebels were killed by security personnel at

Panbari reserve forest in the national park.

 

The encounter in the reserve forest, which is a key animal corridor, had

even raised fears of a dip in tourist count.

 

A park official today said the rebel activities at Kaziranga could also

become a threat to conservation of wildlife in the park.

 

" If the government does not take necessary steps to check militant movement

in Kaziranga, the world heritage site will be in danger, " he said.

 

The park director said an appeal has been made to the government to set up a

police picket to patrol the Karbi Anglong foothills frequented by militants.

 

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