Guwahati: Three United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) insurgents, including a self- styled sergeant, were killed in an encounter with the Army which foiled their attempts to take away across the border to ULFA camps rations from poor villagers in Darrang district on February 18 night.

Defence sources said on February 19 on specific information the troops of the Red Horns Division asked the militants at Badlapara village, under Dimakuchi police station, to surrender when they were unloading the ration material from a truck.

The group of four ultras opened fire and lobbed a grenade making an attempt to escape. The Armymen retaliated and killed three on the spot while one managed to escape, sources said.

Stating one of the dead was identified as "sergeant" Moran Deka, sources said during search operation in the area a 7.62 mm Beretta pistol with four live rounds, a single barrel breech loaded 12 bore rifle, 14 rounds of AK-47 fired cases and ULFA literature were recovered.

Also, 200 kg sugar, 40 kg wheat, 90 kg flour, 20 litre each of mustard and refined oil and four pieces of tarpaulins were recovered.

The Army would be patrolling round-the-clock in an effort to stop the movement of cadres and foodgrains across the border to militant camps in Bhutan where there was an acute shortage of rations, sources added.

PTI