Three militants belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom were killed and one militant was arrested in two separate incidents of gun-battle, between the militants and joint teams of the Army and police, near the Assam-Arunachal border on Saturday.

Security sources informed that two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Khamongaon under Kakotibari police station in Charaideo sub-division of Sivasagar district. One of the slain militants was identified as Biraj Changmai while the identity of the other is yet to be ascertained.

The joint team of the Army and the police shot dead another ULFA militant and arrested another at Bimalapur near Charaipung reserve forest, along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, in Sivasagar district.

The militant was identified as Amarjyoti Patmout while the arrested militant was identified as Kiron Ojha. Security forces recovered one AK-56 assault rifle and one 9 mm pistol from the militants.

A senior police official informed that the army and the police have launched a massive search operation against ULFA militants.

The 'Bravo' company of the 28th battalion of the ULFA is very active in Sivasagar districts, specially along the borders with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The outfit has been extorting several tea estates located along the boundaries in Sivasagar.

Meanwhile, eight militants belonging to the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front today surrendered to the Army at Jagiroad in Morigaon district of central Assam. The KLNLF is a militant group that is active in the Karbi Anglong hill district of the state.

The KLNLF was responsible for the train bomb blast at Diphu railway station in the hill district on December 2, which killed three persons and inured 30 others. The outfit operates in coordination with the banned ULFA and targets Hindi-speaking people.