ULFA rebel gunned down,'transit camp' busted, huge ammo seized

Guwahati, May 22 (UNI) In a major success, security forces today gunned down an ULFA rebel, busted a 'transit camp' of the outfit and seized a huge cache of arms at Sivasagar in upper Asom.

A security source said acting on a tip-off, a joint team of police and CRPF conducted a raid in the Abhayapuri reserve forest of Singripathar under Sonari police station in Sivasagar district in the wee hours.

Spotting the security team, around four to five rebels holed up in a 'transit camp' atop a hillock opened fire, forcing the former to retaliate.

While two CRPF jawans sustained splinter injuries, an ULFA rebel, identified as Dhrubajyoti Lahon alias Deepak Phukon, was gunned down in the crossfire which lasted for nearly an hour. The other rebels managed to escape.

A sophisticated Universal Machine Gun (UMG), a drum magazine, an AK magazine, 130 live ammunition, one mortar, 25 detonators, two radio sets and 80 mts of wire were seized from the 'transit camp' of the outfit.

A massive combing operation was launched in the area to nab the fled militants.

Meanwhile, passengers of the Down Amritsar Express had a harrowing time this morning when the train was detained for several hours at Nahorkotia Railway Station in Dibrugarh district following a bomb scare.

After a mentally retarded person boarded the guards' coach, a rumour spread that his luggage contained explosives.

Securitymen searched the entire train for over three hours, detaining it at the railway station. However, nothing was found during the search.

UNI