ULFA terrorists ambush army convoy, kill two jawans

The banned United Liberation Front of Asom ambushed an army convoy, killing two jawans -- Lance Naiks Sambhu Bahadur and R G Paradikar-- and injuring three others near Kamalpur in Kamrup district on Tuesday night.

The army patrol was fired upon for more than 15 minutes. One jawan died on the spot and another died on the way to hospital. Three other soldiers were critically injured.

This was the fourth major ULFA ambush on the army since the unified command was launched in the state.

An army source described the ULFA attack as a "show of strength" by the terrorists for the benefit of their demoralised cadres.

The army convoy was on its way to the Indo-Bhutan border to raid militant hideouts when it was attacked at Haberikura village in Kamrup district. The militants arrived in a vehicle bearing a Bhutan registration number and began firing indiscriminately on the convoy.

Army officers expect some more attacks by ULFA terrorists who they believe are keen to show off their strength to the unified command.

''In an insurgency you have to create a fear psychosis, only then can money be extorted. The ULFA is doing exactly the same thing. They have become desperate to extort money to buy more arms,'' an army source said.