Saturday, October 22 2005 11:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Diphu (Assam): With the recovery of 10 more bodies in the strife-torn Karbi Anglong district yesterday (Oct 21, 2005), the overall death toll in the worst-ever ethnic violence in Assam has risen to 87.

According to official sources, the body of a Karbi tribal, who has been missing since the attack by Dimasa miscreants on Longlian village, was recovered yesterday.

Earlier, suspected militants of the two warring Karbi and Dimasa tribes attacked each other killing nine Karbi ultras and setting ablaze 19 Dimasa houses.

Police here today said that nine bodies of suspected Karbi insurgents killed yesterday by their rivals were yesterday recovered at Tamulbari, under Diphu police station.

A group of Karbi extremists after torching 12 houses at Kakubasti and seven at Kisiri Bongaon villages, inside interior areas of a reserve forest, Thursday (Oct 20, 2005) morning proceeded towards Tamulbari.

In a retaliatory attack, Dimasa guerillas ambushed them on way, as they were about to enter Tamulbari and shot dead nine of them on the spot, the police said.

An encounter took place at Doyamgmukh along the border with neighboring N C hill district between a group of suspected militants and the police, but there was no casualty and the ultras later escaped.