Samdrup Jongkhar (Bhutan): The top ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) leader Bening Rabha, has been reportedly captured by the Royal Bhutan Army in the Himalayan kingdom and all 30 camps of the ULFA, NDFB (National Democratic Front of Bodoland) and KLO (Kamtapur Liberation Organisation) have been demolished, prompting the cornered three outfits to call a retaliatory 48-hour "general strike" in Assam and North Bengal.

Bening Rabha, an ULFA "major" in charge of the outfit's Western camps in Bhutan, was reported to have been caught today (Dec 19, 2003) when the RBA overran the 30 well-fortified camps where 120 of the 3,000 holed up there were killed.

The officials in Bhutan and on the Assam side were tightlipped about the capture and would neither confirm nor deny the arrest.

Rabha was one of the founder-members of the ULFA along with the underground organisation's "commander-in-chief" Paresh Baruah.

Meanwhile, the relentless RBA offensive to drive out the Northeast-based anti-India guerrillas from its soil for the fifth day today succeeded in destroying all the 30 well-fortified camps.

The RBA, led by the Bhutan King Jigme Singye Wangchuk with his Prince Jigyel Wangchuk also taking part in the operation, has achieved major success with reports indicating that the ultras are on the run as their plea for ceasefire has already been rejected by Thimphu.

According to high Bhutan Government sources, the militants have been dislodged from their 30 camps located in dense jungles of the hilly country, which have been demolished.

PTI

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