Assam: Two Cattle Smugglers Killed, 4 Cops Injured In militant Ambush

Kokrajhar: Two persons suspected to be smugglers were killed and four police personnel injured in a militant attack in Assam's Kokrajhar district.

Reportedly, the attack on police took place at around 1.30 AM on Tuesday, when they were heading towards the Jomduar area of the district with smugglers, to identify smuggling routes along the Sankosh river.

The police vehicle carrying duo came under attack from militants, following which the police personnel took cover in nearby spots to retaliate.

The firing between police and militants continued for 10-12 minutes.

''The two cattle smugglers were hit by bullets during the militant ambush. They were declared dead after being taken to Saraibeel Primary Health Centre in another vehicle,'' a police official was quoted as saying by the media.

The deceased were identified as Akbar Banjara and Salman Banjara, who are residents of Uttar Pradesh, who were arrested from Meerut for their alleged involvement in cattle smuggling.

Meanwhile, four police personnel, who suffered injuries, are undergoing treatment at local hospitals.

One AK-47 rifle, two magazines, 35 rounds of live ammunition, and 28 rounds of empty bullet shells were recovered from the spot.

The smugglers had revealed that cattle from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Assam were being smuggled to Bangladesh via Meghalaya.

As per the police, the duo revealed that fundamentalist militant organizations based in Bangladesh were involved in this racket and the money from this trade was being used for anti-India activities.

''Some of the money also found its way to militant outfits of Assam and Meghalaya," the officer added.

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