Cops snap at ULFA heels, shoot 3 cadres

A week after the death of abducted FCI Executive Director Phul Chand Ram in a “crossfire” between the Assam Police and ULFA militants near here

A week after the death of abducted FCI Executive Director Phul Chand Ram in a “crossfire” between the Assam Police and ULFA militants near here, security forces have intensified operations against the outfit, killing three cadres, apprehending two and busting a camp with a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

While three ULFA cadres were killed in two different incidents in Tinsukia and Kamrup, jawans of the 66 Field Regiment of the Army recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition by busting a hideout near the Assam-Nagaland border in Sivasagar district on Sunday.

Two ULFA militants—Palashjyoti Rajbangshi and Bhaskar Moran—were killed in an encounter that followed a raid by Army jawans at a house in Simaluguri village under Pengeri police station in Tinsukia, close to the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Saturday.

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On Saturday evening, one ULFA militant was killed in a joint raid conducted by the police and Army jawans near Chayagaon in Kamrup district. One AK-47 rifle, two grenades, three magazines and some explosives were also recovered from his possession.

In another raid inside the Abhoypur Reserved Forest in Sivasagar district, the Army busted an ULFA hideout on Saturday. The hideout is believed to be a transit camp for ULFA militants, who sneak out into Nagaland and into Myanmar with the help of the NSCN(K), official sources said.

In Tinsukia, Army jawans also apprehended two youth, believed to be ULFA couriers, and recovered from their possession two kg explosives, six detonator sticks and some fake currency notes.

The two youth, Kamal Chiring and Durgeswar Moran, later confessed that they were being asked to transport the explosives and deliver them to some ULFA cadres in Tinsukia for use on July 27 when the ULFA observes its Martyrs’ Day.