September 27, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 26, 1429

NEW DELHI, Sept 26: Indian troops shot dead on Friday seven militants belonging to a guerrilla outfit that New Delhi said was based in neighbouring Bangladesh, the defence ministry said.

The guerrillas were killed in a fierce gunbattle in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, which adjoins Bangladesh, a military spokesman in New Delhi said.

The militants belonged to the Harkat Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) outfit, which India claims extends training and arms support to guerrilla organisations fighting its rule in various parts of the country.

“A group of Huji terrorists from Bangladesh moved to Guwahati and they were to meet with another group of Huji which is already stationed in Guwahati planning for several blasts,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman said troops encircled the militants near Assam’s largest city, triggering the gunbattle on Thursday night.

Besides weapons and explosives, the troops also found large quantities of Indian, Chinese and Bangladesh currency at the scene of the fighting, he said.

India has tightened security at its porous borders with Bangladesh following a spate of coordinated bombings in four cities since May this year.—AFP