NF Railway links snapped after 11 railway personnel massacred

Guwahati, Oct 6 (UNI) Anti-talk Dimasa militants gunned down 11 North Eastern Frontier (NF) Railway personnel in a remote jungle near Hatikhuli today, bringing the ongoing construction work between Lumding and Badarpur to a complete halt.

According to official sources, the incident occurred at around 1000 hrs this morning when the anti-talk faction of the Dima Halom Daogah (DHD), (the Black Widow,) attacked a 20-member railway team proceeding in four vehicles beyond Mandaksa railway station to inspect some engineering works.

Among the 11 dead were six RPF jawans, two N F Railway engineering staff and engineering staff members of contractors working on the gauge conservation work.

The ambush was reportedly carried out in a remote jungle area near Hatikhuli, about 12 km from Lumding railway junction.

The first two vehicles managed to slip away but the militants, from a vintage hill top position, attacked the remaining two, killing all the occupants.

According to official report, there was an encounter and the militants took away all weapons of the railway security personnel.

They killed nine on the spot while two others died later.

Reports from Lumding and Badarpur said tension prevailed in the two towns and adjoining areas following the attack.

This was the biggest attack on N F Railway personnel in the past few years. Gauge conversion work along Lumding to Badarpur had resumed just a few days ago after work was halted by the contractors, demanding adequate security from repeated militant threats.

The anti-talk Black Widow had been operating in the area for some time and specifically targeting railway installations.

Meanwhile, DHD chairman Dileep Nunisa has condemned the incident, saying anti-talk and anti-peace forces had been trying to derail the whole process by creating violence in the area.

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