Assam Police top officer gunned down by NDFB(S)

Week after Assam police announced rewards on help to caught NDFB(S) leaders dead or alive, one top Assam Police officer ranked as Additional Superintendent of Police(ASP) of Sonitpur district Gulzar Hussain was killed and four policemen and an informer were seriously injured in an encounter with NDFB(Songbijit) at Dhekiajuli area on today morning.

The police team was returning from the bordering area after picking up an NDFB link man and was routed in the trap midway by the militants with indiscriminate firing from automatic weapons. The ensuing heavy exchange of fire between both sides critically injured five policemen Hiraj Bharali, Umakanta Bailung, Pinku Nath, Rubul Bora, and Ganak Basumutary. A dead body was also recovered from the site that has been identified as that of L Nag. The injured have been shifted to the nearest hospital while those battling with life have been rushed to Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Police also managed to apprehend one NDFB (S) cadre.

Meanwhile, reports pouring in have confirmed about outraged people attacking NDFB(Pro-Talk) designated camp at the ASTC campus at Tezpur. The irate mob vandalized furniture’s and parked vehicles of the camp and shouted anti-NDFB slogans. The situation is termed to be tense.

In between, NDFB(S) Spokesman B R Feranga in a telephonic call to media has claimed responsibility for the attack on the security personals and informed about four army jawans also succumbing in the gunfight. Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi has warned of stern action against the perpetrators of today’s horrific incident. The CM has announced bulletproof jackets for all security personals engaged in the counter-insurgency operation and opined renewed operation against the Songbijit group.

Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Lalit Gogoi informed about more forces being rushed to the spot along with the deployment of two companies of BSF in the border area.

But the question is when will this violence end? Will this be a game of announcement after the announcement while the killing of civilians, non-Assamese people residing in the state and the targeting of police and security officials continue? With elections around the corner, heightened activities of the militants will be on the rise thus converting the land famous for its greenery into a red-blooded line.

Assam’s new DGP Khagen Sarma’s role in trying to bring the situation under control will be a much looked at. In a recent press conference, DGP Sarma opined, “Union Government will send more security forces to Assam soon to carry out operations against the militants.”

Meanwhile, Assam Police, Army, and CRPF have launched combing operations against NDFB(S) and other militant groups across the state from the night of January 19, 2014.