Five people were killed and one injured when suspected militants fired indiscriminately at seven trucks and later set them afire on Thursday night in Assam’s Dima Hasao district.
Police said around 8.30pm, a group of armed men stopped the trucks, including six carrying cement and one loaded with coal, and started firing indiscriminately. “The group fired at the vehicles for several minutes and then set them afire. Five persons have died in the incident and one sustained injury. All of them are drivers and handymen of the trucks,” said Jayant Singh, superintendent of police, Dima Hasao.
Authorities suspect the involvement of the Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) in the attack. A cement factory’s refusal to yield to DNLA’s extortion demands is suspected to have led to it. This was the first such attack in Assam since May 14 when two people were killed in a grenade blast at Digboi in the Tinsukia district. United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) was suspected to have been involved in the attack.
