Assam villager shot at by militants, 2 kidnapped

SILCHAR: Hours after Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said here that the situation in southern parts of Assam was bad, suspected tribal militants on Saturday night swooped down on a village in Karimganj district. One person was wounded when two bullets hit his right hand. The ultras whisked away one minor and a youth, members of the same family, before fleeing.
Sources said a group of about 20 suspected members of United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA), a Bru (Reang) outfit, raided the house of Sudam Baishnav (60), an affluent farmer at Rankhalbasti village near Ratabari in the border district late on Saturday night. The cadres were wearing camouflage and carrying AK series of rifles and country-made guns. They first knocked on Sudam's door when the residents of the remote village located at the foothills of Chatachura hills, 120 km from here, were asleep. As soon as Sudam came out of the house, the ultras shot at him. Two bullets hit his right hand and he fell. Hearing the shots being fired, and Sudam's and his other family members' screams, villagers came out of their homes. The militants fired at least 25 rounds in the darkness. However, no one else was injured. Before fleeing, the ultras whished away Prasanta Bhaishnav (13), grandson of Sudam, and Basu Bhaishnav (18), their relative, at gunpoint. The militants took them towards the nearby forests of Chatachura hills bordering Hailakandi district.
Locals later admitted a bleeding Sudam to the nearby Dullavcherra government hospital. Doctors there sent him to Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) later that night. SMCH sources on Sunday said he was now out of danger.
SP (Karimganj) B P Rabha said an operation was launched in the area soon after the incident. However, the whereabouts of the two abducted youths remains unknown.
Police have recovered eight rounds of used bullets cases of AK 47 rifles from the place where the incident took place on Sunday during the course of investigation. Locals have alleged that such incidents were taking place regularly in this remote area of Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of Barak Valley due to the inaction of police. They said only last year, militants raided the same house and injured one of the family members.
They said for the past many days, the militants had been demanding money from the villagers. The incidents were brought to the notice of the police. Police neither provided any protection to villagers nor took any action against the rebels.