Three suspected dacoits were killed in a shoot-out with the police and one injured when they attempted to escape in Assam’s Goalpara and Kokrajhar districts on Friday.
The police was tracking a group of wanted dacoits and murder accused for the last month and they received information that they were planning to commit dacoity again, following which operations were stepped up in Agia in Goalpara district, Superintendent of Police Rakesh Reddy said. 
The police conducted a house search but they were not there and later traced to a vehicle carrying areca nuts, he said.
The police asked them to come out but they refused and the police fired at the vehicle tyres at around 8;30 p.m.
The dacoits opened fire and an encounter followed in which three dacoits were injured and two of them succumbed to their injuries while they were being taken to Goalpara Civil Hospital.
The dead dacoits were identified as Shahjehan Ali and Sushen Ali.
In another incident in Kokrajhar district, a former NLFB militant, operating with a gang of 10 to 15 members and involved in recent dacoity cases was arrested on Thursday from Chirang district.
He was taken to Ultapani reserve forest during an operation by the police personnel of Kokrajhar police station to retrieve looted gold ornaments and money.
As they reached the spot where the looted materials were hidden, the former militant opened fire from a loaded revolver and attempted to escape.
As he started running, the police opened fire to capture him and he was hit by the bullet. The police took him to the Kokrajhar Civil Hospital where he was declared dead.
The police recovered Rs one lakh in cash, suspected looted gold ornaments and a 7.65 mm pistol with four rounds of live ammunition from the possession of the slain former militant who was identified as Sanjula Warry.
Assam has witnessed a spurt in police encounters since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office on May 10 last year, with 38 people killed and at least 90 injured in such incidents since then.
