Gunmen on Friday opened fire on a busy market in a restive area of northeast India, killing 12 people and wounding several others, police said.
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Reports say one suspected rebel was killed in the gun battle with security forces in Kokrajhar district.
Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay said the attack at Balajan Tiniali market, 12 km from Guwahati, was suspected to be the handiwork of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S).
The massacre in the state of Assam was reportedly carried out by Bodo militants – a predominantly Christian armed separatist group which aims to create a separate homeland for the Bodo people. “Police have launched a hunt to trace insurgents”.
Sonowal, who was in Delhi yesterday at the time of the attack, said the militants would be dealt with “very sternly”.
He has also directed finance, education and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to rush to the spot and review the situation in the area, where more security personnel have been deployed.
Assam’s chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said he had appraised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the situation, who expressed his condolences. Army is searching the area for the other two militants, Defence PRO Lt Col S Newton said.
Combing operation by police, paramilitary and army is also on in neighbouring Chirang district to nab militants.
Karen Rijiju, minster of state for home affairs, added: “This attack in Kokrajhar is unfortunate”.
Later in the day, Singh had another round of meeting with Doval where he was apprised about the Kokrajhar attack. “We strongly condemn it. Thoughts & prayers with the bereaved families & those injured”, he tweeted. The Bodos have long fought to gain control over part of Assam state, they recently established a council that oversees around 3,000 villages and led by the Bodo People’s Front, the BBC reported. The Centre is also closely monitoring the situation arising out of the Kokrajhar attack.
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Friday’s attack was the worst in the recent past, but the group was blamed for the shooting deaths of more than 60 Muslim settlers and Adivasi tribespeople in Assam in separate attacks in 2014.
