Diphu (Assam): Indefinite curfew in areas under a police station in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district continued for the second day on Sunday.
Meanwhile, an encounter took place between the police and Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants at Borlangso under the same Chowkikhola police station during the day, a police officer said. There was no report of any casualty or injury.
“The militants had come to burn houses and create disturbances, but the police stopped them and an encounter took place. Ultimately, they fled from the scene,” Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Mahanta said.
To control the disturbances, the state government will send more forces to the troubled areas in the district by Sunday night, official sources said.
A high-level review meeting claimed that the situation was becoming normal. Earlier in the day, Assam’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A P Rout held a meeting with the district administration. “We will send more forces by tonight. We are keeping a close watch and we hope that the situation will become normal within 2-3 days,” he told reporters.
The curfew was clamped on Friday night as the situation at Khowanigaon village under Chowkikhola police station remained tense after the burning down of houses.
A group of KPLT militants had swooped down on the village on Friday and opened fire killing four persons, including three women.
Following the attack, militants belonging to Naga Rengma Hills Protection Force launched a counter attack and killed two KPLT militants in a dense forest about five kilometres from the village. The district administration has set up three relief camps in the area and the villagers have been shifted there.
Reports of torching of more villages were received on Sunday. Sourcess from the affected areas said several houses in three villages were torched since Saturday night.
Bokajan subdivisional administration has setup three relief camps in Chokihola and Silonijan locality, around 150 Karbi villagers have taken shelter in Silonijan LP school camp whereas 200 Rengma people have been given shelter in Santipur High school camp; another 200 Rengma people have taken refuge in Chokihola LP school relief camp.
State Parliamentary Secretary (Home) Etwa Munda, Hills Area Development Minister Khorsing Ingti, Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Tuli Ram Ronghang and ADGP AP Raut today visited Bokajan to take stock of the situation.
Reports of skirmishes between the two communities had been reported from the areas over the past few days. (PTI with inputs from Agencies)
