Guwahati, Dec 5 (IANS)

A girl abducted by an unidentified gunman Wednesday from Assam's Sivsagar district was rescued from near the Assam-Nagaland border Thursday morning, police said.

"The class VIII girl was rescued today (Thursday) morning from Rangajan area along the Assam-Nagaland border. The girl was not hurt by the abductor and was handed over to her family by the police," said Sivsagar Superintendent of Police Bijoy Kuligam.

A man Wednesday hijacked a school van with 11 children on board at a gun-point near Sivasagar district's Nazira area. He escaped with a girl student in a tea garden along the Nagaland border.

Although 10 children along with the van-driver were rescued after the vehicle was recovered by the police, one student was missing till late Wednesday night.

"We have launched an operation in and around the area. Nagaland police were also helping us in search of miscreant who abandoned the girl and managed to escape. We hope to nab him in a day or two," Kuligam said.

Accorduing to police, the man had an altercation with some youths at a tea stall near Nazira Tiniali and ran away after they chased him. He stopped the school van passing by the area and asked the driver to drive towards Simaluguri on the Assam-Nagaland border.

He later got down near the Santak tea estate and vanished in the garden with the girl.

The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) led by Paresh Baruah in an emailed statement to the media Wednesday denied their involvement in the matter and urged the youth to release the girl unharmed immediately.