NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Less than 24 hours after Assam Governor Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha made his customary Republic Day peace overture to militants in the state, at least two insurgent outfits responded by triggering landmines resulting in the death of two policemen and injuries to 20 others in three separate incidents on Sunday.
Among those killed was a Deputy Superintendent of Police and his driver. DSP Debajit Pathak's vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED), about 80 km from state capital Guwahati, planted by militants of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
In another incident near Golaghat, 300 km from Guwahati, ULFA militants targeted a convoy of the para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). At least 10 jawans were injured, three of them seriously.
In the third incident, members of another militant group, United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) attacked a police station near Diphu, the headquarters of Karbi Anglong district, injuring 10 civilians.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is away in New Delhi to discuss the state's annual plan with the Planning Commission, is rushing back to Guwahati in view of the fresh spurt in violence.
The rebels struck a day after Republic Day passed off peacefully. Unprecedented security arrangements had been made to prevent violence in the run up to Republic Day.
At least 12 insurgent outfits across the Northeast routinely call for a boycott of the Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations.
Some of them want a sovereign country for their people while some are fighting for more political autonomy.
All police stations across Assam have been put on full alert, according to the state's home commissioner H S Das.
Security forces have stepped up operations against militants along the international boundary with Bhutan, he said.
Another rebel group, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), has killed at last 35 people in two separate incidents in the last fortnight.
Both ULFA and NDFB operate from bases in Bhutan.
More reports on Assam
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
Call India
