Four policemen were killed when an unidentified group of militants attacked a police vehicle with a rocket launcher at Dilai under Bokajan Police Station of Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam on Sunday.

Police informed that the vehicle carrying six policemen were on a routine patrol from Dilai to Koilamati when the ultras attacked them at around noon.

Four slain Assam policemen were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Inspector Bimal Sarkar, havilder Debo Basumatary, constable Aftabuddin Laskar and police driver Nabin Bardoloi. Two other policemen who were in the vehicle had a miraculous escape and fled the scene to save their lives leaving the bodies of their colleagues behind.

Identity of the militant group involved in the attack was yet to be ascertained. The area of occurrence is infested with several tribal militant groups including Kuki Revolutionary Army, Hmar People's Convention, Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front and anti-talk faction of the Dima Halam Daogah.

Police has not ruled out possibility of involvement of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam in the incident as the outfit has history of striking in the hill district with cooperation from tribal ultras.

A team of police and CRPF personnel was rushed to the spot after the attacks. The Bodies were yet to be brought from the incident site and it was suspected that the ultras might have took away the weapons of the slain policemen.

The Karbi Anglong Hill district of Assam has remained a hot bed of militancy for decades because of the complex political and demographic pattern of the district.

The situation in the hill district has remained as volatile though two prominent militant groups -- the United People's Democratic Solidarity and the Dima Halam Daogah -- signed ceasefire agreement with the government of India four years back.