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Our Correspondent
Diphu, Oct. 6 (EMN): An alleged commander-in-chief of the proscribed Kuki organisation by the name of United People’s Revolutionary Front (UPRF) was shot dead in an encounter with the police in the foothills of Singhason in Karbi Anglong in the wee hours of Tuesday at around 3 am.
This was disclosed by the additional superintendent of police (ASP), Adranil Baruah, at a press conference held at SP office. The officer informed that the militant was killed in an intense encounter.
“An operation was launched on information provided by sources that a party of UPRF might come. Several parties of ours fanned out and set an up ambush in Jorlen area under Manja police station. During the ambush, we came to know that there’s a movement of UPRF cadres. An encounter took place with one of the party. The exchange of fire took place for a long time in the night,” Baruah said.
The officer also informed that one dead body was recovered in the morning during a search operation and later identified as one Martin Guite, a ‘self-styled’ commander-in-chief of UPRF. It was also informed that some weapons and documents were found with him.
While the number of cadres involved in the encounter could not be ascertained, police suspected the presence of around five to six cadres going by the intensity of the firing.
“The group have sophisticated arms. Martin himself does not carry heavy weapons as we know, he carries only a pistol but his bodyguards used to be heavily armed,” the officer stated.
On report of the group roaming around in the open remote areas of Karbi Anglong, Baruah said that they may be challenging the police to come and face them, adding the operation was purely conducted by Assam police.
He further said that search operations are still on.
The UPRF is made up of Kukis in Karbi Anglong and suspected to have 20 cadres at the most.
The officer informed that Martin Guite (33) alias Martin Kuki alias Sehkhogin Guite is a resident of Thadoveng, Bagmari under Diphu police station.
It may be mentioned that on August 25, a group of UPRF extremists were seen casually walking with automatic weapons in the remote hills area of Takolangso among the public. They even posed for selfies with picnickers at Takolangso falls.