A hardcore cadre of anti-talk faction group of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills on Wednesday, officials said.
Following a tip off, security forces launched an operation at dense forest area in the hilly district on the wee hours of Wednesday, where a militant group was hiding.
“When our boys reached the area, the militants started firing and forced us for exchange bullets, where a hardcore ULFA militant was killed,” an official of West Garo Hills police said.
The slain militant was identified as Sonzit Asom @ Nitul Koch.
Security forces recovered arms and ammunition in possession as well.
ULFA and Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) had set up few camps and raised their organizational activities in the bordering area of Assam.
Recently, ULFA had triggered a powerful grenade explosion at Paltan Bazar area in Guwahati city, where 16 persons including three security personnel were injured.
Assam Police DGP Jayanta Narayan Choudhury said that, the explosion was carried out by the ULFA cadres, which was planned by ULFA’s deputy c-in-c Dristi Rajkhowa.
The ULFA also triggered another two grenade explosions in Lakhimpur and Karbi Anglong districts in the past week, where one person was killed and 9 others injured.
Home department of Assam state government had issued high alert across the state up to August 15, after four grenade explosions in three places in a row.
Assam police, Meghalaya police started combing operation against several outfit groups including ULFA, NDFB, GNLA in the two states, after the combing operation finalized in Unified Command meeting held on July 29 in Guwahati.
