48 dead in ULFA mowing; red alert, shock wave through Asom, Bihar

Guwahati/Patna, Jan 6 (UNI) Even as the toll spiralled to 48 in the dastardly serial attacks by the banned ULFA in eastern Asom, search operation was intensified amid red alerts sounded in the state and Bihar.

A red alert was sounded in Asom as well as in Bihar, as a precautionary measure to check any possible backlash, with Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal and high-level delegation from Bihar due to visit the state tomorrow.

Curfew has also been clamped in Tinsukia this evening, which reported the highest number of six attacks of the total nine last night.

Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi confirmed that 48 people were killed in the nine shoot-outs last night, starting from about 1600 hours and continuing late into the night.

While 34 people were killed in Tinsukia district, eight were killed in Dibrugarh and six in Dhemaji districts.

Mr Gogoi said, ''This is undoubtedly the handiwork of ULFA. We strongly condemn cowardly act of killing innocent, unarmed, poor people.'' He pointed out that most strikes were in inaccessible areas and the government would take stringent measures against the ULFA.

However, he did not clarify if the government would go for an all-out operation against the outfit.

Main Opposition party Asom Gana Parishad and conglomerate of 12 other parties in the state also condemned the killings.

The Chief Minister announced ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the next of the kin of those killed, Rs 50,000 for the seriously wounded and Rs 10,000 for minor injuries. The injured, four of whom were in intensive care, would receive free medical aid and would be shifted outside the state for specialised treatment on government expenses, if needed.

Last night's killings bear close resemblance to similar ULFA attacks on Hindi-speaking population in 2003. The outfit had issued a statement last month warning these people to leave the state.

It had gone on to state that 'infiltration from mainland India' was posing a greater threat to Asom than 'infiltration from across the border'.

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