Toll rises to 78 in Assam violence

GUWAHATI: The toll rose to 78 today in attacks by NDFB(S) and retaliatory violence in lower Assam with Adivasis setting afire houses of Bodos as the backlash to the Tuesday massacre continued for the second day.

In worst affected Sonitpur district six more bodies were recovered this morning from Maitalu Basti under Zinzia police station bordering Arunachal Pradesh taking the toll in attacks by NDFB(S) to 43 in the district and overall toll to 71, a police spokesman told .

Three adivasis were killed in police firing during protests against the carnage yesterday.

In Kokrajhar, the other severely affected district, retaliatory violence by adivasis claimed the lives of four Bodos at Manikpur and Dimapur areas.

25 people were killed by militants in Kokrajhar and three in Chirang district.

Fresh incidents of violence have been reported this morning from Gossaigaon area in Kokrajhar where several houses of Bodos have been set ablaze by adivasis despite the indefinite curfew clamped in the entire district, he said.

Curfew has been also imposed in the affected areas of Sonitpur and Chirang districts along with parts of Dhubri and Baksa districts as precautionary measure, he added.

Union Minister of Home Rajnath Singh accompanied by his deputy Kiren Rijiju today visited Bishwanath Chariali in Sonitpur district to review the prevailing situation and also held talks with different political and social organisations. They had reached here last night and held meeting with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.