Body of Suspected ULFA Member Found Floating in Assam River Days After Gun Battle with Forces

Gauhati: An unidentified body of a suspected United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) member was found floating in Burhi Dehing river in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Thursday morning.

Security forces suspect the unidentified body to be of Rudreswar Baruah alias Jan Asom of ULFA (I), who was believed to have been injured in a recent operation in Jagun area along Assam-Arunachal border on Monday night.

Earlier, sources in the Army said two ULFA(I) insurgents had received serious bullet injuries in the heavy exchange of fire on September 24 and one of them was likely to be self-styled private Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom.

However, according to police, there are no visible bullet injuries on the body.

“We are yet to identify the body of the militant. No bullet injuries found. A post-mortem examination will confirm the cause of his death,” said Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta.

Dressed in full combat fatigue, the man’s floating body was first spotted by local fishermen in the area, around 5km from Kheremnala-Adarsha village near Jagun, where the encounter took place four days ago.

A hand grenade, 73 rounds of 7.62x39mm AK ammunition, a hand-held radio set and a bullet proof jacket without plate were among the other items that were recovered from him.

Jan Asom was in recruited to ULFA (I) in 2013 and was since found involved in various kidnapping and extortion activities in the bordering areas of the district.

Sources said the two ULFA(I) cadres carried ‘suitable reward’ on their heads and were even involved in the killing of Assam police inspector Bhaskar Kalita, who had led an operation against the outfit on May 4 this year.

Meanwhile, search operations are in progress to trace the second militant suspected to have been injured in the encounter.

Security forces are also on the lookout for the rest of the cadres thought to have fled towards the Kakorani Reserve Forest, north of Jagun.

Earlier on Monday, 3kg of Improvised Explosive Device, live grenades of Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) and fired cartridges were recovered from the encounter site.