Three WWF female officials kidnapped by Bodo militants in Assam ‘released’
February 9th, 2011 - 1:33 pm ICT by ANINew Delhi, Feb 9 (ANI): Three female wildlife officials, who were abducted along with their male colleagues, in Assam have reportedly been released.
The Assam police have however said, that the abductors have demanded 20 million rupees (442,184 dollars) for the release of three male officials who were abducted together with the released female officials, the BBC reports.
The masked gunmen had reportedly kidnapped the officials from the WWF, the global environment campaign, in Manas national park on Sunday.
A newly formed Bodo militant group, called Oornai, has taken the responsibility for the abductions after security forces started hunting for the captives. The kidnappings took place within a few hours of a decision by Bodo tribal groups to renew their campaign for a separate state.
The six were working on a WWF-India survey on the tiger population in the national park in collaboration with a local NGO.
The Ultapani range, where the abductions took place, lies in the western part of the Manas Tiger Reserve close to the densely forested, mountainous border with Bhutan.
An Assam government official has said that Bhutanese authorities were asked to help in tracing the kidnapped officials. (ANI)
- Militants kidnap six WWF officials from Manas Tiger Reserve - Feb 07, 2011
- Militants release WWF volunteers in Assam - Feb 17, 2011
- Two rhinos translocated to Manas in Assam - Jan 06, 2011
- Assam's one-horned rhino population rises by 250 - Apr 09, 2012
- Four Kaziranga rhinos to be released in Manas - Feb 19, 2012
- Adding self-reliance to conservation, with jams and jellies - Feb 13, 2012
- Two orphaned rhinos from Kaziranga to be released in Manas - Mar 10, 2012
- Abducted Assam officials released - Mar 06, 2012
- Tribal outfit strikes again, Assam death toll is 22 (Lead) - Nov 09, 2010
- No trace of kidnapped official in Meghalaya - Nov 28, 2011
- Tribal outfit continues murderous rampage in Assam, toll 23 (Second Lead) - Nov 10, 2010
- Six die in botched Pakistan hostage rescue attempt - Dec 30, 2011
- Eight BSF personnel killed in Assam ambush - Mar 15, 2011
- One-horned rhino killed in Assam - May 23, 2012
- Bodo separatists planning terror strikes in Assam: police - Sep 20, 2010
Tags: abducted, abductions, abductors, assam government, assam police, captives, environment campaign, global environment, government official, kidnappings, male colleagues, manas national park, militant group, mountainous border, rupees, tiger population, tiger reserve, tribal groups, wildlife officials, wwf india