NEW DELHI, May 21 (UPI) -- The government in India's northeastern state Assam said it would raise a battalion of surrendered militants to fight militancy.

The chief minister of the state Tarun Gogoi said the new battalion would be used for counter-insurgency operations in the state. "Whenever there is a need, we will deploy the surrendered militants, numbering about 1,000," Gogoi said, adding the surrendered militants would not be inducted into the regular police force.

"We are taking such a step because they do not need training and the regular appointment process is a long one. We cannot wait that long," said Gogoi. He clarified that the former militants would be operating under the supervision of security forces.

The security agencies, reacting to Gogoi's statement, said that such practices of using former militants in counterinsurgency operations is very common but this is the first time that the state government intends to give them legal status by raising a separate auxiliary battalion of surrendered militants.

The chief minister said this battalion of surrendered militants would be different from the Sulfa brigade, which created terror among civilians during the previous regime. Gogoi said the state government decided to raise such a battalion because the federal Interior Ministry has refused to send additional forces.