Silchar, May 14, 2026: A suspected drug mafia operative allegedly linked to the United Kuki Liberation Army (UKLA) was killed during a police encounter at Bumapunji in Jirighat along the Assam-Manipur border late Wednesday night, while two police personnel sustained serious injuries during the operation.
 |
Sailen Dongal alias Dulung was killed during a Cachar Police encounter near the Assam-Manipur border in Jirighat following an anti-drug counter-operation. |
The deceased was identified as Sailen Dongal alias Dulung, a resident of Manipur. According to Cachar Police, he was one of the prime accused in the May 5 firing incident at Dighlang Basti during an anti-drug operation, in which police constable Sharif Hussain Kazi sustained critical bullet injuries and remains under treatment.
Police said continuous raids and search operations had been underway over the past several days to trace those involved in the earlier attack on the police team.
ALSO READ: Assam Police Seize 80,000 Yaba Tablets Worth ₹2.4 Crore in Bongaigaon
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a Cachar Police team launched an operation in the dense forest area of Bumapunji under Jirighat Police Station on the night of May 13 to apprehend two accused believed to be hiding there.
According to police, when officers asked Sailen Dongal to surrender, he allegedly opened fire on the police team and attempted to escape. Police retaliated, triggering a fierce exchange of fire and explosions reportedly involving bombs.
During the encounter, two police personnel - Navojit Tanti and Santosh Biswas - sustained serious injuries. Police said Navojit Tanti was hit despite wearing a bulletproof jacket.
ALSO READ: Assam Government Allocates Portfolios to Newly Sworn-In Cabinet Ministers
The accused was critically injured in the retaliatory firing and later taken to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Confirming the development, Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjib Kumar Saikia stated that the deceased had alleged links with the United Kuki Liberation Army (UKLA) and was believed to possess the pistol used in the earlier attack on constable Sharif Hussain Kazi.
Police said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination while the injured police personnel are undergoing treatment. Investigations into the case are continuing.
