ULFA 'sergeant major' killed in encounter in Assam

An ULFA `sergeant major' was killed in an encounter with police in Dibrugarh district today and arms recovered from him, while another militant of the outfit apprehended.

An ULFA cadre Nitul Gogoi was arrested with a pistol at Namrup in the district early this morning and he led the police to the ULFA's 28th battalion self-styled sergeant major, Biplab Baruah's hideout at Jokai Borbil village.

As police surrounded the village, there was firing from inside a house towards them and a person was attempting to flee, police sources said.

The security forces also retaliated and Biplab was killed in the encounter, the sources said.

A universal machine gun (UMG), one magazine with seven rounds of live ammunition and five detonators were recovered from the slain extremist.

Biplab was part of the ULFA ceasefire group but he had escaped from the groups's government designated camp with a UMG, they said.

ULFA's strike force 28th, after its majority declared a ceasefire about two years ago, was now regrouping, reuniting, recruiting cadres and also indulging in large scale extortion activities in upper Assam, the sources added.