Suspected ULFA-I linkman injured in encounter with security forces; 4 held

The incident took place inside the Upper Dihing reserve forest under Pengeree police station around 4.30am when a joint team of police and army personnel were conducting an operation to nab suspected ULFA-I cadres hiding in the area

A suspected linkman of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) was injured in an encounter between security personnel and suspected members of the banned outfit in Tinsukia district of Assam early on Wednesday morning, officials said.

The ULFA-I in a statement denied the police version and claimed that no encounter or shoot-out took place between its cadres and security personnel and its cadres were not hiding in the forest. (Representative Image)

“We nabbed four persons on Tuesday from inside the forest. On interrogation, they admitted they were ULFA-I linkmen and were providing food to cadres of the outfit hiding inside the forest,” Gaurav Abhijit Dilip, superintendent of police (SP), Tinsukia, said.

According to the Tinsukia police, the incident took place inside the Upper Dihing reserve forest under Pengeree police station around 4.30am when a joint team of police and army personnel were conducting an operation to nab suspected ULFA-I cadres hiding in the area. The outfit has, however, denied any involvement.

“We took one of the four linkmen and carried out an operation to nab the ULFA-I cadres. Suddenly there was firing on our team and we also retaliated. In the shoot-out, the linkman identified as Amit Mukhiya sustained injuries on his leg. He is admitted in a local hospital and is out of danger,” the SP added.

“The cadres of ULFA-I fled from the spot after firing a few rounds. We have surrounded the forest and an operation is underway to nab them,” said an army official on condition of anonymity.

However, the police and army versions have been denied by ULFA-I in the statement which stated that no encounter or shoot-out took place between its cadres and security personnel and its cadres were not hiding in the forest.

“The entire incident was pre-planned by Assam police and army. Now they are trying to put the blame (of injury to the suspected linkman) on ULFA-I in order to wash their hands of it and create confusion among the public,” said the statement issued by the outfit’s media department, which HT has seen.

Meanwhile, accusing the police of falsely implicating innocent persons of being associated with ULFA-I, local residents staged a protest outside the Pengeree police station demanding release of all four arrested persons.