At least four to five National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) terrorists, suspected to be of the Songbijit faction, opened fire at a populated local market in Balajan Tiniali, 10 kms from Kokrajhar town on Friday afternoon, killing 14 civilians and injuring 18 others. Two of the injured are in a critical condition.
A red alert has been issued across Assam as the attack comes as the country is preparing for the Independence Day celebrations. Security has also been increased on the Assam-Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district, official sources said.
An army patrol, which was in the vicinity, managed to shoot one of the terrorists, who were wearing army fatigues and long raincoats and fired indiscriminately at people gathered at the weekly market. The incident occured between 11: 30 to 12 noon on Friday, and people from different parts of Kokrajhar district were busy trading at the market. The terrorists came in an autorickshaw (AS 16 C 6540) and started firing without provocation. Six of the dead are Bodos, including a woman, and one a Bengali.
"We suspect them (NDFB-Songbijit) behind the attack whose victims were mainly Bodo civilians," said Assam police chief Mukesh Sahay. Local SP Sreejith T, however, said that the attack was a lone-wolf attack, and was reminiscent of the earlier attacks of 2014. "Last month, five terrorists were gunned down by the police in an operation. The terrorist who was gunned down had several pictures with NDFB militants, and in great detail," he said.
The army has launched a massive combing operation, pressing into service specialised troops, tracker dogs and other specialised equipment in the area.
Chief minister Sarbanada Sonowal, who was in Delhi and in a meeting with PM Modi at the moment when the news broke, condemned the attack. "This is a condemnable act, and strict action will be taken against the militants," he told reporters, soon after meeting NSA Ajit Doval. Sonowal also met the home minister after that, and has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs 1 lakh to the injured.
Speaking to minister of state, home affairs, Kiren Rijiju, he stated, "This incident has come as a shock. This is a very dastardly and unfortunate attack."
Kokrajhar town in lower Assam is located about 220 km west from Guwahati. It is the headquarters of the Bodoland region and has been a hotbed of ethnic unrest and insurgency. The anti-talk faction of the NDFB(S) had killed more than 100 civilians in 2012 and 2014 ethnic riots, forcing security agencies to launch a sustained operation against the group.
Three days ago police in Kokrajhar nabbed four cadres of the same banned NDFB-S, along with two pistols, one revolver, one automatic assault rifle, two hand grenade and several live rounds.
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