While, Atabur's body was found at Panbankhol village in the Kolasib area, Eklas's body was was found at the neighbouring Belkshetri village.
A senior police officer in Kolashib on Wednesday said villagers spotted the bullet-ridden bodies and alerted the local police station after which the Mizoram police contacted their Assam counterparts in Hailakandi. The bodies were identified by family members of Atabur and Eklas and brought to their home in the remote Jhalnachera village in Assam's Hailakandi district.
A police officer in Hailakandi said the two deaths were mysterious. However, investigations were on to find out who killed the militants.
Earlier, there were reports that Atabur was arrested by police at Dholai in Cachar district. However, the Dholai police station denied this report. A dreaded dacoit, Atabur, was arrested in 2003 for the first time in Hailakandi and arrested again later after a few years. However, both times he managed to flee from jail. A number of dacoity, killing, kidnapping and extortion cases have been filed against him.
On August 13, 2010, 12 cadres of UDLT surrendered to the Army at a ceremony organised at Mashimpur, the headquarters of 57 Mountain Artillery Brigade of the Red Shield Division. The ceremony was organized by 33 Field Regiment.