The army on Friday shot dead a senior United Liberation Front of Assam militant inside Manabhum Reserve Forest in Arunachal Pradesh following a gun battle.

The army said that Lambu Moran alias Suren Moran, a sergeant of the ULFA's 28th battalion, was killed in the encounter with personnel of the 19th Kumaon Regiment. The army claimed to have recovered one .32 bore pistol along with four rounds of ammunition and six detonators from the slain militant.

The army said that a patrol party had asked the ULFA militant to stop when they spotted him. The militant, in response, opened fire and was killed in retaliation by the army men.

Moran had joined the outfit five years ago and hails from Mahang village of Tinsukia district.