4 injured in police firing in bandh-bound Assam

Four persons were injured in police firing in Assam's Nagaon district on a mob protesting against NDFB(S) attack in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) during the 12-hour state-wide bandh today even as curfew was relaxed in violence-hit districts.

Official sources said the police fired on the mob at Doboka area when supporters of Muslim Students Union, which had called the bandh, attacked and threw stones at them when asked to withdraw the road blocks. The wounded were rushed to hospital, the sources said. In another incident at Sonaribil, bandh supporters attacked and damaged the vehicles of Koliabari sub-divisional police officer and circle officer. The sources said the bandh was partial in the minority dominated areas and the situation was tense in the district.

The bandh was called to protest the killing of 34 people belonging to a minority community by anti-talk NDFB(S) in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts in BTAD since Thursday last forcing thousands to flee their homes. Curfew, which was imposed since Friday was relaxed during the day in the two districts and neighbouring Chirang as no fresh violence was reported in those areas. The prohibitory order was relaxed for eight hours from 10 AM at Baksa, for six hours at Kokrajhar and for seven hours from 10 AM at Chirang respectively.

Flag march by the army continued to instill confidence in the people and security forces patrolled the affected areas to prevent fresh violence, the sources said. IGP L R Bishnoi claimed a major attack was averted with the killing of two NDFB-S militants in an encounter with the police at Baksal village in Udalguri district, which too falls under Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts, where they had gone to unleash violence.Those who fled their homes during the violence were provided shelter by the government in relief camps.