Assam: Five suspected ULFA militants killed in gunbattle

Guwahati, Oct 26 : Five suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) members have been killed in a joint raid involving the police, paramilitary and army soldiers in Assam's Nalbari District, officials said on Sunday.

Army spokesman Colonel R. Kalia said, "A joint team of police, paramilitary and army soldiers raided the reserve forest following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of militants."

The gunfight took place late on Saturday at the Mahina reserve forest in Nalbari District.

The firefight began soon after the joint team entered the area, said the official, and added, "The encounter lasted for close to three hours and we managed to gun down five of them."

On being asked about the killed ultras, Colonel Kalia said, "As of now, we can only say the five killed were definitely terrorists, although the identification process is on."

However, senior police officials in the area said that the dead militants were from the ULFA.

The ULFA is a terrorist group operating in Assam and claim to be fighting for an independent homeland since 1979.

ANI