66 Ulfa rebels surrender in India

United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) cadres surrender before the Assam Police DGP RN Mathur and Lt Gen BS Jaswal during a major surrender ceremony in Guwahati, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Assam yesterday. Photo: AFP

Sixty-six guerrillas surrendered Thursday in India's northeastern Assam state in a sign of cracks in the rebel force blamed for 15,000 deaths in separatist violence in the past three decades.
The guerrillas, belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), gave up arms at a ceremony in Guwahati, Assam's largest city.
Police said among those who surrendered was Ujjwal Gohain, the so-called finance secretary of Ulfa's potent military wing.
Gohain reinforced official claims of a rift within the group.
"There are serious internal conflicts within the Ulfa leading to a sense of frustration in the ranks," Gohain said.
The surrendered militants presented the police with an arsenal of assault rifles and explosives.