The banned United Liberation Front of Assam is finding itself on the receiving end even as the army intensified operations against the militant group within Assam and the Manabhum reserve forest area in Arunachal Pradesh bordering eastern Assam's Tinsukia district.
According to a security source, troops penetrated deep inside Manabhum reserve forest area in Arunachal Pradesh a couple of days back and so far busted a camp of the militant group besides killing a hardcore cadre of the ULFA's 28th battalion.
The army claimed that troops had zeroed in on a militant camp inside Manabhum reserve forest on the night of July 9 and in the ensuing gun battle, one hardcore militant was killed while rest fled.
They recovered one self-loading rifle with one magazine and 20 rounds of live ammunition, one magazine of AK-47 assault rifle, 20 electronic detonators, a solar charger, clothing, dry rations and medicines from the busted camp.
The army suspected that there were about seven militants in the camp going by the amount of ration, clothing and ammunition recovered.
The army has geared up surveillance on Manabhum reserve forest on the basis of the information that the 28th battalion of the ULFA had shifted its base from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia district to Manabhum to escape mounting pressure from security forces within Assam.
The Army intends to continue with the operation till it succeeds in flushing out ultras from the forest area.
Meanwhile, in a joint operation carried out by the Army and police in wee hours of Tuesday two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter at Singimari under Ghograpar police station of Nalbari district.
One of the killed militants was identified as Samiran Barman alias Jibon Medhi from Baganpara in Baksa district of the state. He was a member of the 709 battalion of the insurgent group.
The security forces recovered an AK-56 rifle, a 9 mm pistol, 51 rounds of assorted ammunition, two magazines, Rs 5000 in cash and a mobile handset from the possession of slain militants.
