GUWAHATI: Five truckers were killed in Assam when the militants fired a barrage of shots before setting the vehicles on fire.
The incident occurred at Diyungmukh in the hill district of Dima Hasao on Thursday night. Some escaped providentially by running into a nearby jungle and melting in darkness.
The police said a group of suspected militants of Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) intercepted the cement and coal-laden trucks and sprayed bullets on them for a few minutes. The vehicles were headed to a cement company’s Lanka plant in Hojai district from its Umrangso plant in Dima Hasao.
“The gunmen stopped the vehicles, fired at them and later, set them afire. Five people were killed while one sustained injury. They are the trucks’ drivers and handymen,” Dima Hasao Superintendent of Police Jayant Singh told this newspaper.
Special Director General of Police GP Singh said the attack was a way to put pressure on the cement company.
“The total strength of the DNLA would be about 20. However, they are backed by the (Naga insurgent group) NSCN-IM which also provides them with logistics and shelter in and around their camps in Hebron (in Nagaland),” Singh told this newspaper.
Most of the bodies were charred. Only one of the victims could be identified.
The police did not say what might have led to the incident but the attack is suspected to be linked to the company’s refusal to meet with the extortion demands of the militants.
Additional forces were rushed to the site after the incident and they were scouting the jungles in search of the militants.
The incident brought back the memories of the numerous attacks which the two factions of now-disbanded Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), particularly DHD (Black Widow or DJD-Jewel) perpetrated in the district until a few years back.
Till 2013, the DHD-Jewel had virtually held Dima Hasao to ransom for a decade by unleashing a reign of terror which included kidnappings, killings etc.
Formed on April 15, 2019, the DNLA claims it is “committed to revamp the national struggle and fight for the liberation of a sovereign Dimasa nation”. Ever since its formation, several of its members were killed by the security forces. Some others surrendered.
Dimasas are a tribal community scattered across the three districts of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong.