Dibrugarh, Jan. 15: A hybrid group formed by surrendered Ulfa militants and a gang of rebels who fled the outfit’s designated camps has been carrying out abductions and robberies, giving police a new reason to worry about.

At least five Ulfa cadres, who escaped from designated camps in Upper Assam, are part of this new group.

A police official in Assam’s Tinsukia district said these cadres, armed with sophisticated weapons, had teamed up with a few surrendered militants and were operating in Upper Assam, especially in Tinsukia.

The group had also robbed a branch of the United Bank of India in Tinsukia about a month ago.

The police have registered at least six cases of abduction and extortion against the group.

A member of the gang, Dilon Dowerah, a surrendered Ulfa militant, was killed in an encounter with the army at Talpathar village in Tinukia on Wednesday night.

An army jawan, havildar Dayal Singh, also died in the fierce gunbattle.

Floral tributes were paid today to the army jawan. “A homage paying ceremony was organised at Dibrugarh airport during which a wreath was laid and guard of honour accorded as a mark of respect to the brave soldier,” Col. Dhananjay Joshi, commanding officer of 8 Garhwal Rifles, said.

The body was flown to Delhi from where it will be sent to his native village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Speaking about the genesis of the group that Singh died fighting, a police official said the initiative was taken by Dilon soon after a few cadres of Ulfa’s 28 battalion fled from the Kakopathar-based camp of the ceasefire group.

“These cadres had approached Dowerah for shelter after fleeing from the camp. Dowerah took advantage of their situation and formed a group which got involved in various crimes,” the official said.

Apart from the bank robbery, the group had also kidnapped a Kakopathar-based businessman and a tea garden manager from Pengeri.

The businessman, Prabhu Choudhury, had been vocal about crimes in which Ulfa’s pro-talks group had been involved. He was abducted from Kakopathar town on October 28, last year.

Police suspect Choudhury’s family had paid a sum of Rs 3.65 lakh for his release, but no one knows his whereabouts. “We suspect that Choudhury might have been eliminated by the gang,” Tinsukia SP Diganta Bora said.