Saturday, October 15 2005 18:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Diphu (Assam): Fresh violence erupted in trouble-torn Karbi Anglong district today (Oct 15, 2005) when 67 houses of both warring Dimasa and Karbi ethnic groups were torched in four villages under Diphu police station.

Over 100 people, some of them in battle fatigue and armed with guns, descended on Dimasa village Longithapadaw firing and mowing down animals there before they setting the houses on flame around 5 am, police here said.

The marauders then went to next village Mazgaon and repeated the same violence and burnt down 14 houses there before they went to adjacent hamlet Nasugrungdisa and set ablaze 18 more houses there.

Another group of people attacked Karbi village Longmili around 10.30 am and burnt down 10 houses there.

Stating there was no casualty in today's offensive, police said, the four villages were almost abounded.

The situation in the ethnic strife hit district was stated to be "tense" and the army, police and paramilitary forces were patrolling the affected and vulnerable areas.

No violence was reported on Thursday and yesterday even though it claimed 31 Karbi and rival Dimasa lives since last September 26.

The clash between the two warring Karbi and Dimasa tribes began on September 26 when three Dimasa auto-rickshaw drivers were hacked to death by unidentified attackers at Tissom village, under Manja outpost, and one of their vehicles burnt down and another damaged.

The intensive retaliatory violence began from October two when five members of a Karbi family were hacked to death at Hemari Terang village, followed by killing of three more Karbis at upper Dikrong two days later.