Assam separatist chiefs surrender

Indian forces have been fighting Assam rebels for two decades

Two leaders of a separatist group fighting Indian rule in the north-eastern state of Assam have surrendered to Indian police.

Media chief Suman Barua and explosives expert Chandan Borah, of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa), gave themselves up on Monday.

Mr Barua said he was leaving because he was opposed to the group's killing of innocent people.

Ulfa has been fighting for a separate Assamese homeland for two decades.

'Dictator'

Indian police said the surrenders of Suman Barua and Chandan Borah would be a major setback to Ulfa.

Mr Barua, who worked under the alias Ruby Bhuyan, appeared before the media at the headquarters of the Special Branch of the Assam police in Guwahati.

He said he had decided to leave the outfit after it started killing innocent people, including children.

"Ulfa has lost its ideology and the outfit is being exclusively run by [Ulfa leader] Paresh Baruah like a dictator," he said.

Chandan Borah said he and 16 rebels had been flown on a Bangladeshi aircraft to Pakistan for sophisticated explosives training.