Guwahati: At least 15 civilians were killed on Friday when militants in military fatigues opened random fire at a busy market in Assam’s Kokrajhar town. In another picture the same gunman is seen sitting behind a makeshift stall in the Balajan Tiniali market, about 12 km from Kokrajhar. Police said the group of militants came in a auto and swooped down on Balajan Tiniali market on Friday afternoon. Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited the attack site, told reporters that the militant who was neutralised yesterday has been identified as Manjay Islari.
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He said that one gunman was killed by security forces and troops were pursuing five others who fled.
While 14 people lost their lives, those injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals where the condition of some are said to be serious, the official said.
He blamed the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) group, a militant outfit fighting for a separate homeland for the indigenous Bodo tribespeople.
“The army has launched a massive combing operation, pressing into service specialized troops and tracker dogs”.
Sonowal said the direct involvement of the NDFB faction in the terror attack had been unearthed after security forces received vital information. “We still don’t know about the motivation for an attack of this nature”, a source says. Our prime minister and home minister have also discussed matter with me a few minutes back.
“The Home Minister keeps on talking about terrorism”.
He announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to those seriously injured and free treatment to the other injured.
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Condemning the attack, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “We will not tolerate any threat from any group”. He asked the DGP to instill a sense of security among the people and to ensure that peace prevails in Kokrajhar.
