Ulfa cadre killed; arms cache seized

The Assam Police killed an Ulfa anti-talk faction cadre and seized a cache of arms belonging to the outfit in two incidents Tuesday.

While an Ulfa militant was killed during an encounter in Goalpara district along the Assam-Meghalaya border, police seized arms and ammunition belonging to the outfit at Jorabat on the outskirts of Guwahati.

Assam's IGP (central western range) L.R. Bishnoi said an Ulfa cadre was killed when cornered following a tip-off that four militants were hiding in the area.

"At around 3.30 a.m. today (Tuesday), militants attacked police and security forces that had cordoned off the area, prompting retaliatory firing. Two militants were injured while the others escaped," he said, adding one of them breathed his last later.

Police also seized one 9 mm pistol from the dead cadre, he said.

Meanwhile, police in Jorabat area on the outskirts of Guwahati recovered a consignment bound for Ulfa cadres based in Goalpara district.

Bishnoi said the consignment included three AK 81 rifles, nine AK magazines, three US-made grenades and three sets of mobile phones.

"This is the first Ulfa consignment we have seized in recent times. These arms were procured in Myanmar and being sent to anti-talk Ulfa cadres in Golapara. All our recent seizures were of Meghalaya-based Garo National Liberation Army militants," he said.