Guwahati, July 25 (IANS): Wanted rebel leader Nikunja Kathar, the commander-in-chief of United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA), was apprehended by the army along with two of his accomplices from Assam’s Diphu, an officer said on Monday. Wanted in a number of cases including the murder of a top police officer, Kathar was nabbed late Sunday night by army personnel in a joint operation with police. “Based on specific intelligence from sources, a surgical operation was launched by a joint team of army and police which led to the apprehension of Nikunja Kathar and his accomplices with arms and ammunition,” said an army officer. Investigations have revealed that Kathar was carrying out reconnaissance of specific areas in East & West Karbi Anglong for establishment of training camps and recruitment of new cadres. “He recently visited Myanmar, where he was in talks with NSCN-K, ULFA-I and KPLT under the umbrella of the UNLFWSEA (United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia) to revive UPLA in the hill districts and also execute sabotage activities including IED blasts in Assam in the run up to the Independence Day,” said the officer. An ex-United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) cadre, Kathar instrumental in raising, training and illegally equipping the terrorist outfit UPLA. Involved in numerous acts of killing, extortion and kidnappings he masterminded the brutal killing of West Karbi Anglong’s Superintendent of Police Nityananda Goswami in June 2014. He was arrested in 2014 and but went absconding after being granted bail in November 2014.