All the leaders and cadres of the proscribed rebel outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Saoraigwra (NDFB-S) have reportedly returned to India from Myanmar to join the peace process with the Central government.

“All the 50 members of the NDFB-S left Myanmar early on Saturday. The Indian Army escorted the leaders and cadres from the International border to an undisclosed Army base,” News18 quoted an unidentified top NDFB (S) leader as saying.

While NDFB (S) chief B Saoraigwra and his family members along with his security personnel reportedly crossed the international border at Tamu in Manipur, the outfit’s self-styled general secretary B Ferrenga, council members and other cadres entered India through the Longwa international border in Nagaland.

Assam police have neither confirmed nor ruled out the development.

Intelligence officials said Union home ministry is directly monitoring the process.

The official said the top leadership of the group will be taken to Delhi as part of peace talks.

The Myanmar army (Tatmadaw) has been carrying out operations against rebel outfits like the United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I), National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), NDFB-S and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) since January 29.

It has also taken control of the NSCN-K’s headquarters at Ta Ga village in the Sagaing region of Myanmar.

The Tatmadaw has accused the Naga separatist outfit of supporting Indian insurgent groups, including ULFA-I and NDFB-S, in Myanmar.

Though the NSCN-K has denied the allegation, the Tatmadaw said it took control of the group’s training schools and arrested 36 members from “Naga self-administrative areas” between January and March.

In the last week of March, 2019, Ne Esera Evangel, the self-styled foreign secretary of NDFB-S and his bodyguard had surrendered before the security forces.

In February, ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah had told a section of media that the Indian government had put pressure on Myanmar to carry out the operation.