Two militants killed in Assam

Police in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam say two militants belonging to the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) were killed in a gun battle with security forces near the residence of the chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, in the capital Guwahati.

Three people were seriously wounded.

A senior police official said the militants had earlier kidnapped a government contractor, Abidur Rehman.

The shooting broke out after they had gone to the man's house to collect a ransom.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service