At least five people were killed by suspected United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) terrorists at Kherbari near the Dhola-Sadiya bridge in Upper Assam's Tinsukia district of India on Thursday evening.
Police are suspecting the involvement of Ulfa (Independent) militants behind the attack, reports The Times Of India.
On October 13, Ulfa (I) was involved in a low-intensity blast on the bank of Brahmaputra at Fancy Bazar in which five people were injured, said the report.
The incident took place about 30km from Tinsukia town in upper Assam at around 8.30pm. Eyewitnesses said that a group of armed men asked the victims to line up and then fired at them from a close range.
“Five people died on the spot and the injured have been rushed to Tinsukia civil hospital in critical condition. We are trying the ascertain the identity of the killers,” a senior police official said.
He added that police suspect the role of Ulfa militants in the attack.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the killings and ordered state’s water resource minister Keshav Mahanta and power minister Topon Gogoi to visit the incident site immediately.
"Strong action will be taken against the perpetrators of this dastardly violence. We will not tolerate such cowardly act," Sonowal said.
He also asked DGP Kula Saikia and ADGP Mukesh Agarwalla to rush to the site to tackle the situation.
He further directed all deputy commissioners and SPs to remain alert.
