Smoke billows as Indian security personnel and bystanders gather near the site of a militant attack in the Kokrajhar district of northeastern Assam state.
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Kokrajhar town in lower Assam is located about 220 km from Guwahati.
“At least three to four militants attacked the market place in the afternoon”.
“He said the attackers also used a grenade, setting off a fire at a building in the marketplace which was packed with shoppers”.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review internal security situation in the country including Kashmir and in Assam where NDFB-S militants shot dead 14 people in Kokrajhar.
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.
“The army has launched a massive combing operation, pressing into service specialized troops and tracker dogs”.
Assam health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who reached Kokrajhar told reporters that police had concrete evidence on the involvement of NDFB (S).
Assam’s recently elected Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the killings and promised strong action.
Assam Police chief Mukesh Sahay said he suspected the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-Songbijit) was behind the attack whose victims were mainly Bodo civilians.
“This incident has given us a shock and it is unfortunate so many people have lost their lives”, he said, adding that the elements behind the “dastardly” attack would have to be identified. We have instructed security forces to go all out against the militants.
Sonowal, who is in Delhi, said the militants would be dealt with “very sternly”, a statement from the CMO said. He also directed the security agencies to be on high alert in the run-up to Independence Day on 15 August and beef up security in vulnerable areas.
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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.
