Ulfa rebel killed; arms, explosives recovered

An Ulfa anti-talk faction rebel was Saturday killed during a shootout with police and security forces in Assam's Goalpara district along the Meghalaya border, police said.

Police said the militant, Manoj Rabha alias Sunami Asom, was one of the masterminds behind the July 28 blast in the city's Paltan Bazar area that injured seven people.

SSP, Guwahati A.P. Tiwary said, "Police units from Guwahati and Goalpara and the intelligence wing of the army's Gajaraj Corps raided Haigaon village of Goalpara district. However, the militants started firing forcing the police to retaliate."

"In the ensuing gunbattle, one militant was injured. Although he was being taken to a hospital, he died on the way," the SSP said.

He said an M20 pistol, four rounds of live ammunition, a grenade, three kgs of TNT explosive, detonators and mobile-based circuit of the Improvised Explosive Device were recovered from the dead militant.