After lying low for over six months, the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has sent terror waves again through Assam, killing at least 31 people in two separate incidents in the second half of January. The latest militant strikes have rattled the state’s security apparatus, so much so that it’s now looking at alternative strategies to deal with the spiralling violence. The attack also comes at a time when Army presence in Assam has been considerably reduced since troops have been redeployed in the western sector along the Indo-Pak border.
In a January 22 incident, a group of heavily armed NDFB cadres raided the Jangalbari village under Udalguri police station, dragged people out of their houses, lined them up and opened indiscriminate fire—killing 12 on the spot. Among the injured, six succumbed later. All the victims were poor Biharis. Earlier, on January 15, the NDFB had swooped down on a Bengali village and killed 12 people.