The Army was called out in Bhimajuli in northern Assam’s Sonitpur district on Monday to stage a flag march after Sunday night’s terror attack which sparked off violent protests in the affected village and the nearby areas.
Angry residents, armed with spears, machetes, sticks, bows and arrows, took to the streets on Monday in search of militants of the Ranjan Daimari-led anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), suspected to be behind the Sunday night massacre, in which 12 villagers, including women and minors, were killed.
Tension gripped the district on Monday after miscreants took advantage of the people’s protests and set on fire abandoned houses belonging to the Bodo tribe, official sources said.
The Army, paramilitary troops and police contingents fanned out to sensitive areas to prevent the escalation of ethnic tension.
The death toll in the terror attack went up to 12 after a girl died of bullet injuries on way to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Eight-year-old Raju Pradhan was declared dead on arrival. The condition of at least four of the 13 injured is stated to be serious.
Two more persons were injured when the police opened fire thrice to disperse residents who attacked the police station at Balichang. A police vehicle was torched and an escort vehicle attacked.
