GUWAHATI: Five persons were shot dead and at least one was injured by armed men, suspected to be members of the banned ULFA(I), in Tinsukia district in Upper Assam on Thursday night.
Police said the suspected ultras wearing fatigues lined up the villagers at Kherbari in the district before they started firing indiscriminately.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the killings and asked the state DGP Kuladhar Saikia and additional DGP Mukesh Agarwal to rush to the district. He also asked ministers Keshab Mahanta and Tapan Gogoi to visit the village, which is close to the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary, and ensure that peace prevailed. Police and the Army have cordoned off the area to launch a search operation. The slain persons have been identified as Subal Das, Shyamol Biswas, Abinash Biswas, Dhananjoy Namasudra and Ananta Biswas.
The chief minister has alerted deputy commissioners and SPs in all districts to keep law and order under control.
