Senior soldier killed in fighting

A senior officer of the Indian army has been killed in fighting with separatist rebels in India's north-eastern state of Assam, the military said.

Captain S Choudhury died when he and his soldiers attacked a base belonging to the separatist group, the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa).

He had won a top national gallantry award on Saturday, when the country's Republic Day was celebrated.

Two rebels were also killed in the fighting on Sunday.

The clashes took place in the Mesaki reserve forest in the state's northern Doomdooma region.

Military officials said Captain Choudhury, commanding a company of Gurkha troops, attacked a base of the Ulfa in the forests.

He died while leading a charge, they said.

Two rebels were killed in the fighting. The rest of the rebels managed to flee into the jungle.

Reverses

Ulfa has been quiet for a while after suffering a string of reverses during police and military operations in the last three months.

A number of its top leaders and activists have been arrested or killed in encounter or have surrendered to the authorities.

Ulfa began an armed rebellion against what it describes as colonial rule by Delhi in 1979. Thousands of people have died in the violence.

An effort to start peace talks between the rebels and the Indian government broke down in 2006.

The rebels are seeking a separate homeland for the Assamese people and demanding the departure of the non-indigenous population, particularly Hindi speakers.