Guwahati: Violence spread in Assam as the toll in the massacre of tribals by Bodo militants rose to 65 including 21 women and 18 children, sparking a retaliation in which Bodo homes were torched and a police station attacked leaving three more tribals dead allegedly in police firing. According to reports, two Bodos people were killed when the Adivasi people burnt a number of houses belonging to the community in Kokrajhar district. There was no official confirmation of the deaths. Violence spread to a fourth district--Udalguri--when the militants of the anti-talks NDFB(S) who were behind the ethnic violence in three districts yesterday fired at villagers and burnt houses injuring one person. The attack triggered another round of retaliation in which the Adivasis set ablaze over 60 huts of Bodo people at Lamabari and Udalguri weekly market.
As authorities mulled an offensive against Songbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called the carnage as a "terror" act and that it will be dealt with accordingly. Army has been deployed in all the violence-hit areas and is 'actively' involved in maintaining law and order situation since last night, a defence spokesperson said. Curfew has been clamped in all the disturbed areas under Sonitpur, Chirang and Kokrajhar districts, police said. Singh rushed to Guwahati to review the situation at a meeting with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and top security officials. The Chief Minister urged Singh to order an NIA inquiry into the killings and the Union Minister consented to it, sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said tonight.
Meanwhile Army Chief General Dalbir Singh on Saturday reviewed the security situation in Assam after NDFB(S) militants killed over 70 people this week and directed his troops to carry out relentless operations against the perpetrators of terror. He also pitched for greater synergy with central and state intelligence and security agencies. On arrival in Guwahati, the Army Chief was given an overview of the current status of operations, covering the various measures being taken to effectively improve the larger security milieu in Assam. He was also briefed on the proactive actions undertaken by the Army along with different agencies to intensify the pressure on the militant outfits, army sources said. The General reviewed the deployment of 66 army columns in the disturbed areas, while examining the blueprint for the employment of accretional forces being inducted into the sector.
