The same was the case with the six who were killed at Badalpur Chapori under Dhemaji district on the northern side of the Brahmaputra across Dibrugarh town. The nearest police station is about 40 km away.

“The ULFA now simply fires to kill. Earlier, they used to trigger grenade blasts and IEDs,” said a senior army official at the 2 Div Hqs in Dinjan. “Villagers today refuse to shelter the ULFA because it is the public which has to go through all the trouble,” he said.

In New Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi appealed to the people of Assam to maintain peace. In a statement, she said all problems could be found through dialogue. Gandhi said she had instructed the state government to provide security to the people and adequate compensation to the families of the victims. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan also condemned the killings, saying it was an attempt to divide people.

Paswan has written to the Prime Minister asking him to ensure that the life and property of people from Bihar and those from outside Assam be protected and adequate security measures be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur.