9 policemen gunned down in NC Hills

GUWAHATI, February 8: Nine policemen were killed and three others received bullet injuries when they were ambushed by extremists in north Cachar hills district this morning. Though the identity of the extremists group involved in the attack is yet to be ascertained, security forces suspect the involvement of the Dima Halong Daogah (DHD) and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) in the attack. Police sources said here this evening that the incident occurred at around 8.45 am today, when 22 personnel of the Fifth Assam Police Battalion were proceeding towards Guwahati from the battalion headquarter near Haflong. Sources also said that the police personnel, who were travelling in two trucks, were ambushed by heavily armed militants near Dehangi under Umrangsho police station. The militants opened fire at the police party from both sides of the road, killing nine policemen on the spot. Three others received bullet injuries. It is reported that one civilian was also killed in the firing but the report could not be confirmed till the time of filing of this report. Police sources said that the militants managed to snatch away eight Self Loading Rifles, one pistol and one carbine from the police personnel. Police suspects that today's attack was in retaliation to the recent killing of three NSCN(IM) militants by Assam police near Bokajan. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has condemned the killing of the policemen and announced ex gratia amount of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of those killed. Official sources said that the Chief Minister is scheduled to visit North Cachar hills tomorrow to assess the situation. The IGP (TAP), G Bhuyan has rushed to the spot to supervise the operations against the militants involved in the incident. The chief executive member (CEM) of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) condemned the brutal killing of police personnel in an ambush by militants between Dehangi and Langlai today and said there was no security to lives and property of people in the hill district where militancy had brought development works to a standstill. He said despite repeated demands made by the NCHAC, both the Centre and state government failed to take adequate measures to contain violence in the district. He also called upon militants to shun violence in the interest of development of the hill district.