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India market attack: Suspected rebels kill 13 in Assam

He said four terrorists were on the run and an AK-56 rifle and grenades had been recovered from the spot.

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Criticising strongly the attack on innocent people in Kokrajhar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday said the method adopted by militants to get their demand accepted by the government is unacceptable.

One of the attackers was killed when security forces returned the fire, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting authorities and state officials.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday reviewed the situation in Kokrajhar district and urged the Centre to deploy 75 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), which were withdrawn from the state after the April assembly elections.

Assam Director-General of Police Mukesh Sahay said the attack was suspected to be the handiwork of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S).

At least 13 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the Assam state in India’s northeast on Friday afternoon, police officials stated.

“I think details are still coming in so we have to wait for some time to find out the confirmed number of killings and the number of extremists neutralised by security forces”, the minister said.

A strict vigil was being maintained along the Assam-Bengal interstate border and global fronts with Bhutan to prevent the NDFB (S) militants from escaping there, the sources said.

He said that massive army operations have been launched to nab their associates to have been taking shelter in the nearby areas. “This is his version”, the minister said.

He announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs500,000 to the next of kin of the dead, Rs100,000 to the seriously injured and Rs20,000 to those who sustained minor injuries in the attack.

“The Kokrajhar incident has come as a shock”.

The Minister, who had visited Kokrajhar immediately after the incident on Friday, said that the slain militant has been identified as Manjoy Islari alias Maodang, a commander of the outfit.

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Home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation.

Market gun attack kills 13 in India’s northeast