Unidentified tribal militants killed two senior Congress leaders of North Cachar Hills district at a place called Dehangir under Umrangshu police station of the district at around 1.30 pm on Monday.

Both the leaders were travelling from the district headquarter town in Haflong to Langlaibasti.

The slain leaders were identified as Purnendo Langthasa and Nindu Langthasa.

Purnendo was the chief executive member of the just dissolved North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council and Nindu was an executive member in charge of education and public health in the council.

Both of them were candidates for the forthcoming election to the NCHADC to be held on June 12.

Purnendu was contesting from Mahur constituency, while Nindu was the Congress candidate from Haflong town constituency.

Purnendu is the eldest son of G C Langthasa, a legislator in Assam House and former hill areas development minister in the Tarun Gogoi ministry in Assam.

The elder Langthasa is a veteran Congress leader from Dimasa tribe as well as from the N C Hill district.

With the killing of Purnendu on Monday, the elder Langthasa has so far lost two sons at the hands of assailants.

One of his sons, Normendu was killed by unidentified gunmen in Haflong town in 2003.

His son, Nirmalendu was abducted by suspected United Liberation Front of Asom militants in 2005 and was in captivity of the ultras for over a month.

Monday's killing of two popular Congress leaders in the hill district has created widespread panic throughout the district.

All business establishments, offices and educational institutions downed their shutters as soon as the news of killings had reached the sleepy hill town that has been bearing the brunt of insurgency for over a decade now.