Four suspected members of an armed gang from Assam were killed in an encounter with the state police at Ghiladubi under Goalpara district near the Meghalaya border early on Sunday.
Goalpara police identified the deceased as Chengbat Marak, Mukunda Rabha, Subur Ali and Zahidul Islam.
A police official said all the deceased were from Assam . Two of them were from Goalpara while one each were from Kamrup and Nalbari districts. They were were allegedly out to execute a kidnapping in the area.
The official said they had information about the presence of an armed gang in the area and had accordingly set up several checkpoints in Ghiladubi and adjoining areas of lower Assam’s Goalpara district to apprehend them.
“The four of them, travelling in a car, tried to flee by firing at our personnel after they were intercepted. In retaliatory firing, they were injured but were declared brought dead by the hospital they were rushed to in Dhupdhara (in Goalpara district),” the
official said.
Police recovered four pistols, five cell phones, two walkie-talkie sets and cartridges from the car they were travelling in.
On the possibility of other members of the gang being present, police said operations to find out if more people were associated are still ongoing in the area.