Assam appeared to be on the edge on Wednesday after the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland NDFB(S) militants carried fresh attacks in the state, fuelling violent protests by the Adivasis who were angry over the police failure to prevent the killings.
The death toll crossed 70 as five more protesters were killed in police firing.
A day after the NDFB (S) militants carried out attacks in Assam’s Sonitpur and Kokrajhar areas, killing 65, the militants on Wednesday struck again – this time in Udalguri – opening fire at villagers and burning houses.
The fresh attack took place even as Home Minister Rajnath Singh flew to Assam to review the situation in the aftermath of the massacre that also killed 21 women and 18 children.
According to a villager, the militants came on foot and asked for water first and then they opened fire, a Reuters report said.
Repeated militant attacks angered the Adivasis who broke into fierce protests, settting ablaze over 60 huts in Lamabari and the Udalguri weekly market, police said.
Police opened fire as angry protestors turned violent in Dhekiajuli of Sonitpur district, a police official said.
The protesters, armed with bow and arrows, were marching towards the police station in Dhekajuli town and despite repeated appeal by police to stop, they marched on and attempted to storm the police station, he said.
In the clashes between the police and demonstrators, five more people were killed, taking the death toll past 70, reports said.
Police said that initially attempted to disperse the protestors by resorting to lathicharge, but opened fire when the situation worsened.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of an NIA investigation into the killings of villagers by NDFB(S) militants.
37 people were killed in Sonitpur district, 25 in Kokrajhar and three in Chirang district after heavily armed militants allegedly belonging to the anti-talk faction of NDFB swooped down on remote Adivasi villages of the three districts and killed the inhabitants last evening. Among the dead, 21 were women and 18 children, according to police.
The Centre said it was rushing about 5,000 paramilitary personnel at the request of Assam Government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over loss of lives and sanctioned ex-gratia relief of Rs two lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each of the seriously injured.
An amount of Rs 86 lakh is being released to the state government from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), a PMO statement said.
An all-out offensive will be launched against NDFB militants jointly by police, paramilitary forces and army in the wake of the violence, sources said in Delhi.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and attended by top officials of ministries of Home, Defence and paramilitary forces, they said.
“This was an act of terror and we will deal with it accordingly… Whatever action is required, we will take,” Singh told reporters after the meeting.
More areas were also brought under curfew as hundreds of tribals reportedly fled from their homes out of fear of more attacks.
—PTI