Police officer killed in Assam gun battle

A superintendent of police and his personnel security officer were killed in a gun battle with militants in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, police said Friday.

The incident took place Thursday night when Superintendent of Police of Hamren Police district Nityananda Goswami led an anti-insurgency operation in Rimthiyam village under the Hamren sub-division, about 150 km from the district headquarters Diphu.

"The casualty came to focus only today (Friday) morning after the recovery of the bodies of Goswami and his PSO Ratul Nunisa," a police official said, adding that the site of the gun battle was close to the Assam-Meghalaya border.

"Goswami led the operation yesterday (Thursday) morning after receiving a tip off that some militants were hiding in the area. He was accompanied by 18 policemen. After reaching the area, they formed three six-member teams and launched the operation," said the police official.

Police suspect that militants belonging to Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers (KPLT) and United Karbi Liberation Army (UKLA) were behind the ambush.

Senior police officials, including Director General of Police Khagen Sarma and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A.P. Raut, rushed to Hamren to review the law and order situation.