Assam: ULFA Militants Gun Down Five Persons in Tinsukia

Guwahati, November 1: Five persons were shot dead by suspected ULFA(I) militants in Assam's Tinsukia district on Thursday. A person was also injured in the attack. The United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent is a separatist outfit operating in Assam.

According to reports, six people were sitting at a shop in the area when ULFA(I) militants came in camouflage attire. The armed men took the victims to the banks of Brahmaputra river where they were told to sit in line and shot at.

Four of the deceased were identified as Shyamlal Biswas, Ananta Biswas, Abhinash Biswas and Subal Biswas. All the victims were reportedly Bengali. The killings are seen as a fallout of a rift between Bengalis and the Assamese people following the central government implementing NRC in the state.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the attack and has asked ministers Keshab Mahanta and Tapan Gogoi, DGP Kuladhar Saikia and ADGP Mukesh Agarwalla to rush to the spot and take stock of the situation.

"We will take strongest action against perpetrators of this heinous crime. I have directed all law enforcing agencies to maintain peace and take stern action against anybody trying to destabilise our peaceful society and state," Sonowal said.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee too condemned the killings. "We strongly condemn the attack in Tinsukia and killing of Shyamlal Biswas, Ananta Biswas, Abhinash Biswas, Subodh Das. Is this the outcome of recent NRC developement? We’ve no words to express our deep sorrow to grieving families. Perpetrators must be punished at earliest," she said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 01, 2018 10:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).