Suspected Karbi rebels on Saturday abducted a senior officer of Indian Forest Service and a ranger who went to supervise forest of Karbi Anglong hills in Assam.
The police said that the conservator of forest Abhijit Rabha and forest ranger Rajen Bora were on their way back from Singhashan Hills of Karbi Anglong district when heavily-armed Karbi rebels blocked their way at Borlang under Manza police station area of the district and took them away at gun point.
Security sources said that militants called up the forest officials by Mr Rabha’s mobile at about 1.30 pm to inform that they have abducted them. Though, caller refused to identify himself and disconnected the phone.
Security sources said that Mr Rabha, who is a senior IFS officer of 1987 batch, had gone to supervise the Singhashan forest range with his ranger but had not taken the security.
Security sources suspected the involvement of a new insurgent outfit Karbi Peoples Liberation Tiger (KPLT), the breakaway faction of the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF), which laid down arms on February 11, 2010.
The outfit led by Nillip Enghi claims to have been fighting for autonomous statehood for Karbi Anglong and development of the education facilities in Karbi Anglong.
Meanwhile, a massive combing operation has been launched in the hills of Karbi Anglong and additional enforcement has been rushed.
The incident took place a day after Assam DGP Jayanta Choudhury visited the district to review the law and order scenario of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council area.