Silchar (Assam), Aug 20 (IANS): Security forces Saturday continued their combing operation in Assam following a fierce encounter in which seven tribal militants were killed, police said.

The Indian Army soldiers, central para-military troopers and Assam Police personnel were involved in the operation even as the bodies of the militants were brought to Karimganj district headquarters Saturday afternoon.

The encounter happened Friday in Gutguti tribal-dominated village along the Assam-Mizoram border in Karimganj district.

A helicopter was being used to ascertain if there were more bodies in the forest area.

Naik Shankar Tarafdar of the Indian Army was wounded in the gun battle.

Seven sophisticated rifles, a grenade and two pistols besides a huge quantity of ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

Acting on a tip-off, soldiers of the Indian Army along with the local police Friday morning launched a manhunt in the village, about 150 km from here.

"The rebels started firing. In the retaliatory attack, the army jawans gunned down seven militants on the spot," Superintendent of Police Diganta Bora told reporters.

Militant outfits United Democratic Liberation Army and Bru Liberation Army are active in southern Assam, northern Tripura and western Mizoram.