Assam militant attack kills four, additional forces move in

Guwahati  :  At least four people, including three women, were killed when suspected Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants fired indiscriminately at a village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district early Friday, police said.

The Assam government has rushed three companies of additional forces to the affected village.

A group of suspected KPLT militants attacked Khoaani village under Bokajan sub-division in the district at dawn and set some houses on fire. They then started firing indiscriminately, killing four people instantly.

The village is located over 200 km from the district headquarters Diphu and mainly inhabited by the Rengma Naga community.

“Of the four bodies recovered, three are of women. There are also reports that a Naga militant outfit killed two of the attackers in a retaliatory firing. However, their bodies are yet to be recovered,” said Assam’s Home Secretary G.D. Tripathi.

He said the deceased are all Rengma Nagas. “The situation is tense but under control now,” he added.

There have been incidents of violence between the Rengma Nagas and the Karbis over extortion by the KPLT militants.