In a significant development, the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) Foreign Secretary, Pavel Koch and seven others reportedly surrendered before security forces at Longwa village, Mon district in Nagaland near the Indo-Myanmar on 15 March.

A Khampei, Kilonser-cum-Chairman, Konyak region and western Nagaland in charge, NSCN/GPRN (K-YA) handed over the KLO cadres, while the operation was carried out by the Assam Rifles and Special Branch, Guwahati.

Sources informed that Foreign Secretary Koch and Sgt. Major Kalyan Koch surrendered at Longwa, while the remaining six surrendered from an unknown location. The two were taking shelter in the Naga inhabited area in Myanmar.

It also informed that the surrendered KLOs will be halting at Mon today and sent to Guwahati tomorrow.

A Khampei with Paval Koch, Kalyan Koch and others before handing them over to the security forces.

This development comes in less than 2 months following the KLO chief Jeevan Singha, alias Jeevan Koch Timir Das, who had surrendered along with 9 others on 17 January this year.

Formed in 1995 with members of the Koch Rajbangshi community, the KLO has been demanding a separate state encompassing parts of Cooch Behar, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri districts and stretches of Assam.

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