3 ULFA cadres killed, 2 caught by Asom public

Guwahati, May 25: With the outlawed ULFA continuing its strikes in Asom, the common people are now rising against the subversive activities of the outfit.

The local people have lynched three ULFA rebels and apprehended two others in the past ten days at different places.

An ULFA cadre was beaten to death by students and villagers of Kailashpur in Pengree of Tinsukia district after the rebel and his accomplice shot dead an assistant teacher of the High School there yesterday.

Police said the teacher was shot dead by two ULFA rebels in the school premises following which the students and local villagers chased the rebels and killed one of them.

One pistol and some ammunition were recovered from the slain militant, police sources added.

This is the third incident in ten days when the public took on the rebels.

''This is a good sign. The people should come out against the ULFA. This will help solve the insurgency problem soon,'' a police official commented.

In yet another incident on May 19, people of Barpeta Road in lower Asom nabbed two ULFA extortionists and handed them over to the police, despite being attacked by grenades.

Many of the people sustained injuries when the militants tried to flee by lobbing a grenade.

Similarly, villagers of Borhat in Sivasagar lynched two rebels when they barged into their village for extortion.

The public outcry after the Fancy Bazar blast in Guwahati on May 18 was yet another instance when people openly defied the ULFA.

Floated in April 7, 1979, the ULFA had lost public support after an explosion during the Independence Day function at Dhemaji, which killed 13 people, including eight school children and two pregnant women in 2004.

The Dhemaji incident sparked off a spontaneous outburst against the militant outfit throughout the state.

Over 30000 people have been killed in insurgency-related incidents in the state during the last two decades.

UNI