Two militants belonging to newly floated Bodo insurgent group, United Liberation of Bodoland (ULB) were killed in a pre-dawn ‘encounter’ with security forces on Saturday in western Assam’s Kokrajhar district.
“Two suspected Bodo militants were gunned down by the police in an encounter after they allegedly opened fire in Kokrajhar district in the early hours on Saturday,” said a police official.
Sources said acting on a tip of about the presence of armed militants in the jungle, a team of police and Army launched a joint operation in Lungsung forest in Kokrajhar.
“When the team had approached the armed militants in the jungle, they opened fire targeting the security forces. The police retaliated and later we found two persons were lying on the ground injured. They were taken to the RNB Hospital in Kokrajhar where they were declared brought dead,” said the official.
The slain militants were identified as Jangshar Mushahary, 23 and Janak Kr Brahma, 23, from Kokrajhar.
They were allegedly involved in extortion in Bismuri area of the Kokrajhar district.
Days after newly floated Bodo outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) returning to the mainstream, another rebel group has been formed in the Bodo belt with separate Bodoland state demands.
In a video statement released to media on Friday, the leaders of the newly outfit ULB said they would carry out blasts in Assam from October if their demands are not met.