M A I N   N E W S

Ultras ambush police, set afire 14 houses

Diphu (Assam), November 19
Unidentified militants ambushed a police party and set afire 14 Dimasa houses in Karbi Anglong district of Assam today.

The ultras in two groups of about 25 each simultaneously ambushed a police party and set ablaze 14 houses at Lower Mohan Dijirwa in the Diphu police station area at 5.10 am, DIG (Central Range) L.R. Bishnoi said.

Armed with sophisticated weapons, the militants dressed in battle fatigue engaged the police in a fierce exchange of fire for over an hour, the DIG said, adding that though none of the securitymen were injured, three of the wounded ultras were dragged away by their fleeing colleagues.

A Chinese-made grenade, two magazines of AK-47 and 60 rounds of cartridges of AK series were recovered from the site, Mr Bishnoi said.

The other insurgent group set 14 Dimasa houses on fire. Later in the day, the police and paramilitary forces encircled the militants as they tried to come back and enter the villages in the interior areas, police sources said, adding that the exchange of fire was on.

The sources claimed that today’s attacks were not connected to the ethnic violence between Karbis and Dimasas that rocked the district for nearly a month since September 26 last, resulting in the killing of over 90 persons from both communities and burning of thousands of houses. — PTI