Guwahati: Assam police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition belonging to the anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-Independent) at Jorabat off Guwahati city and subsequently killed one ULFA militant in an encounter on Tuesday morning hours near Assam-Meghalaya boundary in Goalpara district of western Assam.
The IGP of Assam Police L R Bishnoi informed at around 12-30 A.M on Tuesday, Assam police first recovered a cache of arms and ammunition including three AK 81 assault rifles, nine magazines and three bottle grenades and three mobile handsets from three ULFA linkmen including a surrendered members of the outfit who were travelling from Sivasagar to Goalpara in a Scorpio vehicle.
They were intercepted by police on the basis of specific information at Jorabat of Guwahati city near Assam-Meghalaya boundary.
All the three – Krishna Rabha (surrendered ULFA militant), Priyanath Rabha and Dhananjay Rabha (driver of the vehicle) — were arrested by the police.
During the interrogation the arrested persons revealed that the arms consignment which was delivered to them in Sivasagar, was to be handed over to a group of 4-5 ULFA (I) members at Goalpara in Western Assam.
According to the Police Krishna Rabha who came overground in 2007, is closed associated with ULFA(I) top leader Drishti Rajkhowa.
Guwahati police immediately swung into action on the basis of the information and cordorned off an ULFA hideout at Aithan area in Goalpara district near Assam-Meghalaya boundary.
During the exchange of fire early Tuesday morning with the militants taking shelter in the hide out one militant was killed while rest fled. Police claimed that at least two other militants were injured in the encounter.
The anti-talks faction of the ULFA led by its fugitive commander-in-chief Paresh Barua who is suspected to be taking shelter in China, has a strong base along Assam-Meghalaya boundary area in Goalpara district.
The ULFA ultras uses the insurgents infested Garo Hills areas of Meghalaya as a corridor to cross over to Bangladesh shelters, according to a security source here.