Assam district tense firing on train

Tension gripped a hill town in Assam Friday following the discovery of a grenade and after suspected militants fired at a train, police said.

Police recovered the grenade on a road in Haflong in Dima Hasao Hill district, around 300 km from here.

Later, suspected militants fired at the Agartala-bound Agartala Express at a small station near Haflong.

Both incidents took place almost simultaneously, police said.

Inspector General of Police L.R. Bishnoi said: “It is difficult to name any particular outfit for the incidents.”

While there was no causality in the firing, it slightly damaged the engine of the train, police said.

According to officials in Agartala, another engine was rushed to the spot and it hauled the train to Dharmanagar in southern Tripura.

The incidents took place hours after the Assam and the central governments decided to sign a peace accord with two factions of the Dimasa militant group DHD.

While one faction is led by Dilip Nunisa, the other is led by Jewel Gorlocha. The agreements have been opposed by the Indigenous Peoples Forum — a grouping of all non-Dimasa communities in the district.

The Assam government decided to sign the accord to establish a new autonomous territorial council, which will replace the present status of autonomous district in Dima Hasao.

Informed sources said the proposed pact will be signed Oct 8.

The Naga groups in Dima Hasao district have also threatened to protest against the accord with the two factions of DHD.