An encounter between police and cadres of the United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I) broke out in Assam’s Tinsukia at night on Saturday.
The incident took place at Pengeri, which is 50 kilometers from Tinsukia town and shares boundary with Arunachal Pradesh, in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.
According to reports, militants of the proscribed ULFA-I snuck into the state through the jungles via Arunachal Pradesh from their bases in Myanmar.
Officials said that the gunfight lasted for about half-an-hour in the jungles of Pengeri.
An operation had been launched by the Tinsukia police in the region based on information of their movement.
Led by DIG Tinsukia police, Jitmal Doley, the operation was carried out in a bid to flush out cadres of the insurgent outfit during which the gunfight broke out.
Officials mentioned that Rupom Asom, a most wanted cadre of the outfit, was suspected of leading the group of about six ULFA-I cadres with the aim of carrying out subversive activities.
Police personnel said, “Our operation against the rebel outfit will continue. We have inputs regarding the presence of ULFA-I militants in the Pengree area. We launched an operation against the outfit which resulted in a fierce gun battle.”
It may be noted that another cadre of the ULFA-I outfit, Gyan Asom, was killed during an encounter with security forces at Kakopathar in Tinsukia.
