While one attacker has been killed, police forces are on the look out for the remaining two.
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Fifteen others were hurt in the attack, including 12 with serious injuries, according to P.K. Bhagwati, deputy police commander.
The state government said police and paramilitary reinforcements had been rushed to the area in Balajan, around 220 kilometres west of Assam’s main city of Guwahati. Two more people died on their way to the hospital, another police official said.
Authorities in the region have been dealing with a local separatist movement called the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, which hopes to establish a separate state for Bodo tribe members.
A statement sent by the NDFB (S) to some media houses, however, denied involvement in the attack.
“Both (G Bidai and Batha Mushahary; top leaders of the outfit) are now holed up inside Bhutan”, he said.
In view of the Kokrajhar incident and the upcoming Independence Day, Sonowal asked the civil and police administration to be on high alert and to beef up security to thwart designs of anti-national forces.
The NDFB wants an independent homeland for the Bodo ethnic group to be carved out of Assam.
Mr Sonowal while coming out of Guwahati Medical College Hospital said, “The doctors here informed us that the condition of those injured in NDFB (S) strike is improving”.
Rajnath Singh on Friday chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review internal security situation in the country. “I appeal to all people of Assam to exercise restraint and to maintain peace and harmony”, he said.
“We have to ascertain that who are exactly the people behind this dastardly act, it is very unfortunate so many people lost their lives”. “The government will not bow to any pressure while tackling terrorist groups”, a release issued by the chief minister’s office said.
The Chief Minister announced ex-gratia amount of 5 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased, one lakh rupees to those seriously injured and free treatment to other injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the attack and said the home ministry was in touch with the Assam government.
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The DGP pointed out that they had apprehended and eliminated several senior leaders of the militant group, putting the number at 40 cadres since the operations against it began in 2014 after attacks on Adivasi settlers in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar.
