CM visits Karbi Anglong as ultras target Hindi-speaking people

Guwahati, Aug 11 (UNI) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today visited violence-hit Karbi Anglong district after the Hindi-speaking community fell prey to ULFA and Karbi militants, with 22 people killed over a span of three days.

The death of another two persons in twin grenade blasts yesterday took the toll to 24 in separate incidents of firing and blasts in the district. Eight Hindi-speaking people were gunned down by the militants on August 8 and another 14 yesterday.

Another grenade was recovered from the headquarters town of Diphu this morning, after an explosion in the market square of the town yesterday.

Mr Gogoi visited Ampahar village under Bokolia police station, the site of the August 8 massacre, in which eight people of Hindi-speaking community, including four women and three children, were killed by suspected Karbi Longri Nationalist Liberation (KLNLF) and ULFA militants.

The chief minister, reviewing the situation, ordered stern action against the militants.

The Army, BSF and CRPF have already fanned out in the district, besides the regular counter-insurgency operations. Security had also been reviewed for the Independence Day celebrations.

He also announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the victim families of the August 8 killings from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Compensation of Rs four lakh for the next-to-kin of yesterday's victims was also announced today.

Meanwhile, the toll in last night's massacre at Dolomora village, under Bokajan police station, reached 14 as more bodies were recovered from the burnt houses.

Suspected militants of the KLNLF in fatigues raided the village near Shantipur, about 200 km from Bokajan police station, at 2145 hours.They raided the houses of two Hindi-speaking families and opened indiscriminate firing inside the house. The houses were later set on fire by the militants. People could reach the police station only this morning.

Karbi Anglong police chief Anurag Tankha said Army commandos and paramilitary forces have been fanned out in and around the place.

''A massive combing operation has been launched,'' he said.

In separate blasts in the district earlier last evening, two persons were killed and over 20 injured. While twin blasts were reported from Sukanjan, about 1 km from Bokajan town, another took place in Diphu.

In January, over 80 Hindi-speaking people were killed in separate strikes by the ULFA in different places in Upper Assam, mostly in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts.

While police also suspect the hand of ULFA in the Karbi hills massacres, the violence is part of the ritualistic terror run of the militants in the run-up to the Independence Day. A number of outfits of the North East, including the ULFA, have already called for the 'ritualistic' boycott of the Independence Day.

UNI