Two teenage NDFB insurgents killed in encounter in Assam

Chirang: Two teenage boys, claimed to be insurgents belonging to NDFB (Songbijit), were killed and another was seriously injured in an encounter with security forces in Assam`s Chirang district on Wednesday, sparking a public outcry and attack on a police station.

According to police sources, the three alleged militants hurled a grenade at a joint team of Army and police personnel at Raidwongbari under Runikhata police station early this morning. The security forces retaliated, killing two of them on the spot, the sources said. Another was critically injured. The security forces recovered an AK-47, one magazine and a grenade from the slain boys, identified as Jiri Narzary (14) and Pranjit Narzary (13). The injured, Nikotine Narzary (14), has been admitted to the GMC Hospital in Guwahati. The local people claimed that the three boys, who are cousins, are innocent and that they were fired upon when they were sleeping on a haystack in the compound of their house. Angered by the incident, a mob gheraoed the Runikhata police station and pelted stones damaging windowpanes and other office property, besides setting ablaze five police bikes, the sources said. To control the situation, the police resorted to a lathicharge and bursting of teargas shells, they added. The All-Bodo Students Union, Bodo Peoples Front and the All-Bodo Welfare Federation have protested against the incident and demanded an inquiry. They also said that they would take the matter to the Assam Human Rights Commission. The district deputy commissioner has ordered an inquiry into the incident to be conducted by additional district magistrate Dasarath Dutta.