The two employees of ABCI - the company that is undertaking the widening and improvement of Bairabi - Kolasib Road in Kolasib District, who were abducted by militants of a new Bru militant outfit United Democratic Liberation Army on 6th June from their camp site in Meidum were rescued after an operation carried out by Mizoram Police yesterday morning about 7 kms from Bangla Basha in Assam very near to the Assam-Mizoram border. The militants had demanded a ransom of Rs. 5 crores for their release.
According to police reports, during the operation gunfire was exchanged between Mizoram Police and the militants for about half an hour; one of those abducted L Dhiman(60), the Project Manager was shot in the stomach by the leader of the outfit Doinaram Reang for refusing to follow them during the exchange of fire. The other abducted employee Bajrang Lal Jain (44) was unhurt but was very weak. No injuries were sustained by the Police personnel during the operation. The militants escaped leaving behind ammunition comprising of 30 AK 47 bullets, 40 SLR bullets, battery set and camouflage uniforms.
Mizoram Police personnel had started combing the area from the 8th June and had launched an intensive operation to free the kidnapped persons and apprehend the militants. According to Bajrang Lal Jain, one of those freed, the militants numbered between 17-20 people in the age group of 20 - 25 years; they were forced to walk long distances in the thick forests and the militants fed them rice and dal. The militants were all armed with AK-47 and knives according to some other eye witnesses.
Addl. SP CID H L Thangzuala who headed the operation praised the efforts of the Kolasib District SP and all his officers and men and said that the Government was very serious in its stand to free those abducted.
