Policeman, 2 ULFA militants killed in encounter

Dibrugarh/Tinsukia (Assam), Mar 15: A police officer and two ULFA militants were killed during an encounter in Assam's Tinsukia district today, police said.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of ULFA militants in Tongona village under Kakopathar police station, the police launched a search operation in the village and were fired upon by the militants.

The police retaliated and a fierce encounter followed for more than two hours in which Second Officer Pranjal Saikia of Kakopathar police station was killed along with the two militants on the spot, the sources said.

While one slain ultra was identified as Tinku Mahanta alias Ilu while the identity of the other one was yet to be ascertained. The security forces recovered one pistol, one AK-56 and an empty magazine from the encounter site.

Security in the Upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sibsagar and Jorhat have been intensified following intelligence reports of possible attack by the anti-talk faction of the ULFA ahead of the assembly polls in the state on April 4 and April 11.

The anti-talk National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants yesterday ambushed a BSF convoy at the remote Ultapani forest area along the Indo-Bhutan border killing eight BSF personnel and injuring as many.

PTI