Shoot-at-sight order, indefinite curfew in Kokrajhar

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Shoot-at-sight order was issued and indefinite curfew clamped in entire Kokrajhar district of Assam following fresh violence on Monday as the toll in the ethnic violence mounted to 19.

"We have issued shoot-at-sight orders and clamped indefinite curfew to contain the growing violence following fresh incidents in various parts of the state," Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District IGP S.N. Singh said.

About 30,000 villagers have fled their homes in Assam amid clashes between, police said on Monday.

The army also staged a flag march to instill confidence in the people, while district administrations of Dhubri and Chirang where violence had spread have clamped night curfew from 6 pm to 6 am on Tuesday.

Singh said additional nine companies of paramilitary forces were deployed in the district, while the army was assisting in maintaining law and order.

The toll in the clash between minority community immigrants and tribal Bodos in twin districts of Kokrajhar and Chirang rose to 19 with the recovery of two bodies in BTAD districts from the banks of Gouranga river.

People stopped the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express at Pratapkhat between Kokrajhar and Gossaigaon alleging that their houses were damaged by miscreants when they moved to relief camps.

All Assam Minority Students Union (AMSU) called a day-long bandh to protest against the incidents. An office of the ruling Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) and a Bodo students hostel in Dhubri were set ablaze by AMSU members during the bandh, police said.

A ministerial team of Rockybul Hussain and Nazrul Islam are in the affected areas to take stock of the situation, officials said.