Five killed in fresh violence in Assam; toll reaches 61

After a calm of ten days fresh violence broke out in parts of lower Assam claiming five lives and pushing the overall toll to 61 on Sunday.

Three bodies bearing bullet wounds were found in Chirang and two from Kokrajhar district, where one person is reported missing, police said.

Chirang Superintendent of Police Kumar Sanjiv Krishna said the three -- a father and his two sons -- had left the camp for displaced persons at Kawatika village of Chirang district in the afternoon on Saturday and their bodies were found on Sunday.

"They left the camp without informing anybody and without any security. Since then they were untraced. Today we found their bodies at Borlangshu village at Chirang district," he said.

Tension prevails in Chirang districts following recovery of the bodies and there are reports of minority community protesting on the streets against the death of the three men.

Inspector General of Police (Bodoland Territorial Areas District) S N Singh told PTI that two more bodies have been recovered from Kokrajhar, while one person was reported missing.

Additional reinforcements of police and para military forces have been rushed to the affected areas, where forces are already deployed since the outbreak of Bodo-Muslim clashes in July, Singh said.

Night curfew continues in Kokrajhar and Chirang, which are part of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts, and Dhubri, which is outside it.