Guwahati, May 15: A 46-year-old former militant linked to a Manipur-based extremist outfit was killed in a police encounter in Assam’s Cachar district on Thursday morning, officials said.
The deceased was identified as Sailen Daungal, a former member of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), who allegedly had links with an interstate drug trafficking network operating along the Assam-Manipur border.
According to police, Daungal was suspected to be involved in the recent attack on Assam Police personnel near the interstate border in which a havildar sustained multiple bullet injuries.
“We located them last night and a police team managed to apprehend them at Buma Punji. During interrogation, they said they would help police recover hidden firearms. However, after reaching the spot, they attacked our officials using firearms,” a police official said.
Officials of Jirighat Police Station retaliated by opening fire, during which Daungal sustained grievous bullet injuries. He later died, police said.
The incident follows the May 5 firing at Diglang area near Jirighat along the Assam-Manipur border, where Havildar Sharif Hossain Kazi (55) was shot twice by a group of suspected drug peddlers during an operation.
Kazi was first taken to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) before being airlifted to Guwahati for advanced treatment.
Police said Daungal was one of the members of the group involved in the attack on the police team.
Originally from Manipur’s Tamenglong district, Daungal had reportedly shifted to Lakhipur during the ethnic unrest in Manipur and was residing in Buma Punji area of Cachar district.
“After the recent firing incident, we began investigating his activities and found that he was regularly involved in the interstate transportation of narcotic substances and firearms,” another police official said.
Police added that Daungal was named in multiple cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act.
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