Guwahati, May 3: Thirteen Santhal bus passengers were gunned down by Bodo militants at Bismuri in Kokrajhar district in Assam today in an apparent retaliation to the killing of four Bodos by the Santhals in Bongaigaon district last week. Four others were injured.The militants stopped the bus, which was on its way from Charaipara to Kokrajhar, ordered the passengers out and fired at them indiscriminately.The Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar district, S Thadou, said over telephone that the mode of operation indicated that the crime was committed by militants of the banned Bodo Liberation Tigers. The militants had used guns and daos (dagger) for killing the victims, he added.He said that the army today staged a flag march in some parts of the trouble-torn district to instill confidence in the people.He said eight areas in the district were identified as vulnerable along with three other in the Gossaigaon sub-division.He described the situation as tense but under control. Patrolling was onthroughout the district. A control room has been set up at the Deputy Commissioner's office to monitor the situation.Out of the four injured, three have been shifted to Gauhati medical college hospital while another was undergoing at Kokrajhar civil hospital.Four bodies have been identified so far but their names were not disclosed and a list of the victims would be available tomorrow.The Assam police have launched a full-fledged combing operation in the area and were hopeful of nabbing the militants soon. The area where the incident occurred is surrounded by a dense forest and there is no habitation for about 20 kms, officials said.Meanwhile, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland today warned the Santhals against indulging in any violence against the Bodos in Assam.The warning was issued in a release by the Front's information and publicity secretary, B Erkado, here.Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta discussed the law and order in the state with senior police and districtofficials and dispatched three ministers to the scene of massacre.He directed the officials to take all possible measures to apprehend the killers.The Chief Minister announced ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to each bereaved family and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.Bodo-dominated areas in Assam have seen bloody clashes between Bodo and Santhal tribals over the past few years.Describing the killing as a barbaric act, Mahanta condemned the incident as ``'nothing but an act of cowardice''. Three Assam Ministers have left for Kokrajhar to assess the situation following the killings. The CM directed Labour and Employment Minister Joseph Toppo, Minister for Welfare of Plains Tribes and Backward Classes Rajendra Mushahary and Veterninary Minister Hiranya Konwar to proceed to the spot immediately to take stock of the situation in the trouble-torn district.
