Assam BDO abducted by militants

A senior Assam government official has been allegedly abducted by suspected tribal Garo militants from an area along the interstate border in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district, police said.

Heavily armed militants accosted Rashidul Islam, the block development officer of Fakirganj Block in Dhubri district from the Assam side of the border, while on his way home late last night, West Garo Hills SP Mukesh Singh said.

He said security forces of both states have jointly launched a rescue operation along the interstate border in Goalpara and West Garo Hills to rescue Islam from the armed militants.

Police did not rule out the involvement of the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA), which is active along the interstate border, in the abduction.

Earlier this month, the UALA had shot dead seven persons in Assam's Goalpara district.