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| 16 killed in militant attack in Kokrajhar, curfew imposed | | | Agencies
GUWAHATI, May 2: At least 16 persons, including children and women, were killed and 14 seriously injured by heavily armed NDFB(S) militants who unleashed violence in two districts of Assam falling under the Bodoland Territorial Administration Districts area since last night.
Curfew has been imposed from 6pm today to 4am tomorrow in Baksa district's Salbari subdivision and pockets of Mushalpur and Tamulpur subdivisions to prevent further breakout of violence, IGP (Law and Order) S N Singh camping there told PTI.
Army's help has also been sought by the state government to deal with the situation and troops were staging flag marches to instil confidence among the locals in the violence-affected places and to bring the situation under control, the Chief Minister's office (CMO) said in a statement today.
A group of 20 to 25 NDFB-Songbijit militants, armed with AK-47 rifles, swooped down on Balapara-I village in Kokrajhar district in the early hours today and fired indiscriminately entering three houses one after another killing seven persons on the spot, police said.
IGP L R Bishnoi told PTI that two children and four women of the minority community were among the seven persons gunned down.
The body of a three-year-old child also killed in the attack was recovered from the area later this morning, police said, adding, 13 persons there were also seriously injured.
Five bullet riddled bodies, including of two women and a child, were recovered from Nankekhadrabari and Nayanguri villages in Baksa district, police said.
At least 14 houses of the minority community were also set ablaze on the banks of Beki river near the Manas National Park in the district, IGP Singh said.
Today's attack followed the one by the militants last night when three members of a family, including two women, were shot dead and an infant seriously injured by the NDFB-S militants in neighbouring Baksa district last night.
The militants carried out the crime after entering the house near Ananda Bazar area in Baksa district also within BTAD, the police said.
On reports of thousands of people fleeing their homes to take shelter in neighbouring Dhubri, Bishnoi said, some people had crossed the river in panic but all of them returned to their villages.
In Baksa district, a man identified as Bipin Boro was shot at and seriously injured in his house by two suspected militants at Nizdefeli yesterday, police said, adding, he was admitted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today held a law and order meeting with top civil and police officials here and instructed the Assam Police to firmly deal with the situation. Senior police officials were also asked by Gogoi to take sector-wise responsibility for maintenance of law and order in the BTAD areas.
Ruling Congress, opposition BJP, AGP, All Minority Students Union (AMSU), All Bodo Minority Students Union (ABMSU), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and several other organisations have condemned the killings and urged the people to maintain peace.
The anti-talk ULFA-Independent has also condemned the violence. |
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