Continuing with the relentless operations against the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, the troops of 19 Kumaon Regiment of 181 Mountain Brigade killed an ULFA leader in an encounter on Monday at Modai Ghat in Lohit district in Arunachal Pradesh.

Army sources said a team of 19 Army personnel was lying in wait for the dreaded terrorist.

When challenged, Rudro Bora alias Bikram Bora opened fire but was immediately shot by the jawans in the retaliatory fire.

Bora of 709 ULFA Battalion was involved in number of sabotage and terrorist activities in Lower Assam along with second lieutenant Hiran Sarania, the battalion commander. It is believed that Bora was on a mission to meet the top leaders of 28 ULFA Battalion in the Manabum Reserve Forest to coordinate sabotage and terrorist activities.

On June 16, an ULFA hideout was busted by troops of the same unit in the Manabum forest and a satellite phone was recovered.

This has been third major setback to ULFA within a short span. It started with the surrender of second lieutenant Ghanokanto Moran and his wife sergeant Tulshi Boragohain followed by the apprehension of second lieutenant Diwakar Moran, the sources added.

When contacted, official sources confirmed that a 7.65 mm automatic pistol and Rs 1,700 in cash were recovered from the 25-year-old slain ultra, a resident of Nagaon in Asom, the body was brought to Diyun police station and a case registered before sending the body for post mortem.

The joint operation was launched by the army and Assam Rifles in and around the Namdapha Reserve forest in Changlang where the ULFA cadres have of late been taking refuge.

The top brass of the army, Assam Rifles and various intelligence agencies along with the police chiefs of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalya had drawn a strategy for the purpose at Guwahati recently.

Supported by helicopters for reconnaissance and airdropping of special teams as and when required, a large force trained in jungle and counter-terrorist operations was deployed following reports that mounting pressure had forced the ultras to flee from Manabum Reserve Forest in Lohit and Changlang districts to the inaccessible jungles of Namdapha.