Guwahati: The violence unleashed by anti-talk NDFB(S) militants in Assam spread to new areas with one person injured in Udalguri district where rebels fired at villagers and burnt houses.
“Suspected NDFB(S) militants opened fire and burnt some houses in Lamabari under Mazbat police station. A police team reached the spot and fired at the militants, who fled from the scene,” Udalguri Superintendent of Police Bir Bikram Gogoi said. One Adivasi person was injured in the firing and he was shifted to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, he added.
Following the attack, angry Adivasis set ablaze over 60 huts in Lamabari and the Udalguri weekly market, police said, adding none was injured as the people had fled.
Rebels have killed 65 Adivasis and injured 16 in the serial attacks in four lower Assam districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts since last night.
The situation worsened with some Adivasis resorting to violence and setting ablaze dozens of houses allegedly belonging to Bodos in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar forcing the police to open fire on protesters in which three more people were killed. Around 2,500 people have fled their homes and are staying in relief camps after the attacks.
Army has been deployed in all the violence-hit areas and is ‘actively’ involved in maintaining law and order situation since Tuesday night, a defence spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, curfew has been clamped in all the disturbed areas under Sonitpur, Chirang and Kokrajhar districts, police said. Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Nazrul Islam said night curfew is in force along the five km radius of Dhubri-Kokrajhar border covering Gauripur, Bogoribari and Tamarhat police stations to avoid any untoward situation.
An official delegation of Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, Parliamentary Secretary for Home Atuwa Munda and Congress MLA Pallab Lochan Das faced angry protests from Adivasi agitators and had to retreat.
Assam government has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured in the attacks.