Tuesday, October 18 2005 14:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Diphu (Assam): Violence continued to rock Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam with 107 houses torched in overnight attacks as the toll in yesterday's (Oct 17, 2005) ethnic massacre rose to 35 with the recovery of one more body today (Oct 18, 2005).

Police said curfew with shoot-at sight orders clamped in the district yesterday, was continuing today.

They said the body was recovered from Karbi village Tissobasti, under Diphu police station, where unidentified miscreants set ablaze 23 houses last night.

Under the same police station, 16 more houses belonging to Dimasas were burnt down at Alturambasti early this morning.

The violence spread to Baithalangsu police station area where another 30 houses at Jeramukh, 18 at Haripur, 17 at Rangjumi and three at Dhelapara belonging to Dimasas were torched, police said.

Several Karbi villagers from Sarsim area under Kheroni police station were also reported to have been taken away by miscreants inside deep jungles and their fate was not yet known.

Reports of firing were also received for violation of the prohibitory orders by miscreants but no casualty had been recorded so far.

The 24-hour curfew clamped here across the district since last evening continued to be in force and the army, paramilitary forces and police were patrolling the area.

Director General of Police P V Sumant was camping in the district since yesterday to control the situation, while Chief Secretary S Kabilan and anti-insurgency Unified Command Structure headquarters.

Commander and 4 Corps (GOC) Lt Gen H S Lidder were rushing here today to chalk out a strategy to combat the situation.

Yesterday 34 Karbi tribals were massacred in the worst ever daylong orgy of ethnic violence between the warring Karbi and Dimasa tribes in the hill district taking the toll to 70 in the violence that erupted since September 26 last.