Eight mowed down in Karbi Anglong

GUWAHATI, July 16: At least 12 persons including one policeman and three militants were killed in three separate incidents in Karbi Anglong and Barpeta districts since this morning. However, according to agency reports 14 persons were killed. Police sources said here that after a brief lull, the militants belonging to the United Peoples' Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) struck again in the Karbi Anglong hill district in the wee hours today, killing at least eight persons including four children. Police sources said that a group of about five to six heavily armed UPDS militants opened fire at the residence of one Radha Mohan Chowhan at Talihal village under Kheroni police station at around 3.30 am, killing a baby and a woman on the spot. The same group of militants then opened indiscriminate firing at Langpar village under the same police station. At least four persons, one woman, one eight year old girl, one six year old boy and a three year old boy were killed on the spot. Later police recovered two more bodies from the area. Police sources did not rule out the possibility of recovery of more bodies from the area. It may be mentioned here that the militants belonging to the UPDS had launched an operation to drive out the non-Karbis from the Karbi Anglong district about a couple of months back. So far mainly the Nepali and Bihari communities have become the targets of the UPDS militants and according to information available, a large number of families have fled to the Nagaon district from the Kheroni area of Karbi Anglong in the face of attacks by the militants. The police operations in the district have been affected by shortage of force and the difficult terrain, police sources said here.