With fresh clashes occurring in different parts of the communal-violence affected districts of Udalguri and Darrang districts of North Assam, the death toll mounted to 30 today even as curfew remained clamped for the third consecutive day.

The clashes spread to new areas despite heavy deployment of Army and paramilitary forces. The forces had to open fire at least at four places in both the districts to control violence today.

Assam’s principal secretary of the home department, Subhas Chandra Das informed that fresh clashes were reported from different parts of both the affected districts and death toll increased to 30. The clashes erupted at Rowta in Udalguri district on Thursday last.

The official informed that out of the 30 persons killed so far, 15 died in police firing. A large number of people from both the clashing communities, “immigrant Muslims and Bodo tribe” were injured in the flare-up that has so far rendered over 70,000 homeless from more than 25 villages in both the districts. Over 500 houses were razed to ground even as people from both the communities fled from their homes.

The government has set up 32 relief camps in Udalguri district and 14 camps on Darrang districts. Over 60,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps in Udalguri districts as against 10,000 relief camps inmates in Darrang districts.

The state home department official informed that total 22 persons were killed in the worst-affected Udalguri district, seven in Darrang districts and one in neighbouring Baksa district.

Eleven columns of Army personnel are operating along with five companies of police and paramilitary force personnel in the violence-affected districts where curfew has remained in force for the third day today. Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Dipak Pathak along with senior Army and civil officials are camping in Udalguri district to oversee the operations.

The Opposition political parties, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BJP have alleged that the police had failed to control the situation.

The Bodo People’s Front (BPF), which is in the seat of power in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTADC), has alleged hand of a “third party” behind the violence and blamed the state government for failing in taking timely measure to contain it.