Centre rushes addl paramilitary forces
Guwahati: Suspected Bodo militants on Tuesday killed 37 people–mainly tribals–and they included four women in a series of attacks at four places in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts of Assam.
Police said that 10 others were also injured in the attack unleashed by heavily armed militants belonging to the Songbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland(NDFB) that is opposed to peace talks.
Curfew was clamped tonight in areas under four police stations in Sonitpur district, it said.
Police informed that the massacre of innocent Advasi people including women and children were killed in areas under Serfanguri and Ultapani police stations in Kokrajhar district in western Assam as well at Biswanath Charilali and Dhekiajuli police stations in Sonitpur district in North Assam.
The toll was stated to be 26 in Sonitpur district and four in Kokrajhar district.
At least 24 persons including women and children were killed in Moitalubasti in Biswanath Chariali near Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary .
According to eyewitness’ account, the ultras had earlier asked the Adivasi villages to leave the place which was not obeyed by the villagers.
In all the cases Adivasi villages were killed in indiscriminate firing by marauding NDFB-S militants apparently to avenge the intensified operation against the militant group by security forces in Assam.
Senior police officials and security personnel have rushed to the violence-hit areas from respective district headquarters. The Army has been put on alert following the massacres.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has termed the massacres of innocent villagers ‘dastardly and barbaric’ and deputed two ministerial teams to visit the violence hot district.
Gogoi has deputed ministers Rakibul Hussain, Tanka Bahadur Rai and Prithbi Majhi to visit violence-hit areas of Sonitpur district and another team of ministers comprising Nilamoni Sen Deka, Basanta Das and parliamentary secretary Atuwa Munda to violence-hit areas of Kokrajhar district in Western Assam.
PTI adds from New Delhi: Additional paramilitary personnel were being rushed by Union Home Ministry to Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts of Assam after massacre.
Home Ministry sources said it has sought a report from the state government on the series of attacks by the militants.
They said Home Minister Rajnath Singh is constantly monitoring the situation in the places of the attacks.