A United Liberation Front of Asom militant was killed by the police while two persons were killed and 42 civilians injured in a bomb blast triggered by unidentified militants in Assam on Wednesday.

Two persons were killed and 42 others injured when militants detonated a bomb in a daily market at Golokchuk near Hajo in Kamrup district of Assam at around 1 pm.

Police were yet to ascertain the identity of the militant group involved in the blast though the needle of suspicion is pointed at the banned ULFA.

Earlier in the day, police killed an ULFA militant in a wee hour encounter at Nabin Nagar locality in Guwahati. The slain militant was identified as one Deepjyoti Kalita alias Paul who was an expert in handling explosives.

Police informed that acting on a tip off, three ULFA militants were taking shelter at a rented house at Nabin Nagar area. A team of police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel cordoned off the house at around 2 am on Wednesday.

One of the militants was killed in the ensuing encounter while two others managed to flee. Police recovered four improvised explosive devices, one grenade, two detonators, one motorcycle and some incriminating documents from the hideout.

In another incident police recovered a bomb, a huge quantity of explosives following a brief encounter with a small group of ULFA militants taking shelter at Dhirenpara area in Guwahati on Wednesday morning.

ULFA miltant Tapan Rai was injured in the incident, while police arrested his wife Priyanka Rai alias Saleha Khatun and one Abbas Ali. Police has launched a manhunt for the injured militant.

With PTI Inputs