TINSUKIA (Assam) — Hundreds of soldiers yesterday patrolled parts of violence-torn Assam in the wake of an indefinite curfew and shoot-on-sight orders issued after a wave of militant killings left 48 Hindi-speaking people dead. There were no overnight reports of violence and the situation was gradually limping back to normal, said a police spokesperson.The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) went on a rampage for two straight days beginning on Friday killing 48 people and wounding 30 in separate raids in the three eastern districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Dhemaji, targeting Hindi-speaking migrant workers.
“Security forces have fanned out across the region with the army, police, and paramilitary troopers engaged in a systematic anti-insurgency offensive,” Tinsukia district magistrate Absar Hazarika told IANS.
Hundreds of soldiers and policemen raided insurgent hideouts in jungles of Assam yesterday. Security officials said the attackers had
“We are going all out against the Ulfa,” Tarun Gogoi, Assam’s chief minister, told Reuters. “Massive combing operations have started and additional troops are being rushed to the affected areas.”
| Pretend that you're Aethiopian and that the bad guys are Islamic courts gunnies. |
Authorities in eastern Assam have formed several peace committees involving leaders of all communities to instil confidence among the Hindi-speaking minorities, many of whom are reported to be fleeing their homes in panic. “These peace committees are working as vigilantes, helping the affected people come to terms with reality and trying to heal the wounds," a police official said.