Guwahati: A mixed group of militants gunned down three Biharis, including two of a family, injured nine and torched 19 huts rendering 113 persons homeless at Khanglabari of Darrang district in Assam last night (Nov 24).

With this attack, the toll rose to 56 in the violence against Biharis in Assam following the attack on Assam train passengers in Bihar on Nov 11 and 12.

Darrang district Deputy Commissioner Santanu Thakur said a suspected mixed group of militant outfits came to the village and knocked at the door of a Nepali family there and opened fire from AK-47 rifles.

A neighbouring Bihari family attempting to flee on seeing the ultras became their target. A woman and her minor grandson besides another person were killed, Thakur said, adding three of the Nepali family along with six other Biharis were injured.

The marauding assailants before fleeing away set 19 huts ablaze rendering about 113 persons homeless.

With one of the injured released after first aid, he said, the rest had been shifted to civil hospital in Guwahati.

The identity of the group involved in the attack could not be immediately ascertained as both the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) were active in the district and conducted joint operations on several occasions.

This was the first major anti-Bihari violence in Darrang district in Lower Assam where the ultras have struck in Dhubri, Bongaigaon and Nalbari districts, besides Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts in Upper Assam.

The insurgents have been unleashing their rage in the Assamese-dominated Brahmaputra valley only leaving alone the Bengali majority Barak valley and the two tribal hill districts so far.

The victims of last night's attack were migrant labourers and the area has Nepali settlers too, official sources said.

The 113 homeless had been shifted to relief camps.

The DC also said that forces had been mobilised to the vulnerable Bihari dominated areas and the Indo- Bhutan border roads sealed.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today (Nov 25) visited the Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh to assess the situation.

With marginal improvement in the situation in Upper Assam, curfew in Tinsukia town was further relaxed for 11 hours from 06:00 hours to 17:00 hours (IST) today.

PTI