Heavy firing between NDFB(S), Assam Rifles in Sonitpur

Tezpur: An encounter on Friday took place between NDFB-Songbijit militants and 12 Assam Rifles personnel in Itakhola area of Assam's Sonitpur district along Arunachal Pradesh, a police officer said.

Heavy firing was reported, but there was no report of any injury or casualty so far, district Superintendent of Police Sanjukta Parashar said.

A group of 12 NDFB-S militants came to the Assam side and when the security forces encountered them, they fired upon the personnel leading to an exchange of bullets, police sources added.

Since December 23, at least 81 people, including 26 women and 18 infants have been killed in serial attacks by NDFB(S) terrorists.

However, on December 27, the Assam government claimed that the overall situation in the restive districts has improved even as the number of people taking shelter in 81 relief camps in the wake of serial NDFB attacks has risen to nearly 1.15 lakh.

Curfew has been relaxed in Sonitpur, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Udalguri. A total of 364 houses were set ablaze by the Bodos and tribal people in the aftermath of the attack. Out of these, 186 units were burnt in Sonitpur, 117 in Kokrajhar, 41 in Chirang and 20 in Udalguri.

In Kokrajhar, 52 relief camps have been set up, out of which 31 are for the Adivasis and rest for Bodo people. A total of over 82,000 people are taking shelter in these camps.