Seven persons, including a woman, two infants and a militant, were killed and several houses burnt as fresh ethnic violence erupted in Assam's Karbi Anglong district.
Unidentified militants in battle fatique stormed Karbi village Chirkongnep, fired indiscriminately and set ablaze houses of six Karbi families, Superintendent of Police Krishna Das told PTI.
On hearing the gunshots, Central Reserve Police Force personnel went from a nearby camp and returned the fire for nearly an hour. Later, four bodies were recovered from the village while its inhabitants fled.
Three of the bodies bore gunshot marks while a two-month old baby girl was crushed to death in the the stampede that broke out as villagers fled after the attack
The villagers suspected the attackers to be Dima Halam Daoga militants as they were speaking Dimasa language.
The victims were identified as Nagen Ingti (30), Malini Tereonpi (25), Harbina Ingtipi (one year) and two-month-old Rosmita Rongpipi who was crushed in the stampede.
A PTI correspondent who trekked over 6 km of hilly terrain to reach the attacked village found Rosmita's mother inconsolable while the houses near her were burning.