KLO top guns are now operating out of Nepal

Siliguri, 3 January: Inputs provided by the agencies probing the recent Paharpur blast in Jalpaiguri and firing on a bus in Malda allegedly carried out by Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) are enough to make the Centre and the state government sit up in alarm. According to sources, the top guns of the banned outfit are now based in Nepal. This aside, some recently recruited militants are now being trained in Myanmer by some dreaded extremist outfits based in the Northeast.    
It is learnt from sources that the KLO masterminds like Tom Adhikary, Manchalal Singha alias NIlambar Rajbanshi alias Doctor and Malkhan Singha have taken shelter in Nepal while the outfit’s chief, Jeevan Singha is now in Myanmar. Divided into two groups, the KLO militants are now engaged in extorting from the traders and others in north Bengal. The agencies have also found that the 13th batch of the outfit is currently being trained in Myanmar and the training is being imparted by those leading some dreaded insurgent outfits based in the restive Northeast like National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) (Isak-Muivah) and NSCN (Khaplang).
“One group now  running a camp in Nepal keeps covering vast stretches in Jalpaiguri district  up to Mainaguri spread over Kharibari, Naxalbari ,Siliguri, NJP area and Sahudangi. Dipak Roy and Aditya Roy who were arrested recently are members of this group. The duo recruited by Tom Adhikari were trained in Myanmar. Another group based in Assam now being led by Kailash Koch keeps operating from the Dooars in Cooch Behar district. Police recovered coupons, leaflets and literature of the banned outfit from the possession of those arrested. This group has been recruiting Rajbanshi youths from some lower Assam districts like Kokrajhar and  Bangaigaon,” the sources said.
The agency sources further claimed that the KLO is now in desperate need of funds to revive its sleeping cells and bring up new ones. “Money is needed for training,” sources said, adding that the recruits for batch number 13 are now being trained in Myanmar.
“Initially, the KLO ultras were trained in Assam by United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). This was during the period between late 1990s and early 2000. Now as ULFA seems exhausted of its earlier resources the KLO is now looking up to NDFB and two NSCN factions for training.  Now short-term training is going on lasting for one to two months,” sources said.
It is learnt that around 650 youths, mostly Rajbanshis, are currently associated with the KLO.
“Each batch has around 50 members. During the Operation Flush Out in 2003, around 162 out of 166 militants from the KLO were arrested. The rest of them, including its chief, Jeevan Singha fled to Bangladesh.  We have got information that Adhikary and others keep visiting Assam frequently. Besides, all the top leaders like Adhikary and Singha are in close touch with one another,” the sources said. (SNS)