ULFA-I rebels dead in Tinsukia gunbattle

TINSUKIA: Two ULFA -I rebels are believed to have been killed when they had a fierce gun battle with security forces in Tinsukia district on Sunday.

The encounter which took place for nearly two hours took place in Lekhapani area on the bank of river Burhidihing at 8 in the evening.

Acting on a some inputs, the Assam Rifles jawans along with their counterparts of 15th Kumaon Regiment launched a combing operation in the area where they were locked in a heavy gun battle with a group of ULFA-I rebels in Jagun along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

The gun battle started when the rebels crossed the river Burhidihing where they had to counter the Assam Rifles jawans with firing who were later joined by police and para military forces.

Local residents in Lekhapani area came to hear the sounds of gunfiring till 10 at night. Later, the rebels managed to vanish amid the deepening darkness. Two of the rebels are believed to have been killed in the encounter.

Rupam Asom, a dreaded ULFA-I rebel is believed to have been leading the rebels in the encounter a day after the security forces busted a rebel camp along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter state border.