SHAMUKJULI, India -- Hundreds of survivors of a rebel attack that killed at least 63 people in northeastern India sought shelter Wednesday in a church and school while security forces imposed a curfew in a bid to contain the ethnic violence.
Long-simmering land and ethnic disputes in Assam state led to bloodshed Tuesday when rebels belonging to a faction of an indigenous separatist group called the National Democratic Front of Bodoland attacked tribal settlers known as Adivasis, authorities said. Most of the Adivasis, whose ancestors migrated to Assam more than 100 years ago, have worked on tea plantations.
At least 100 people, mostly women and children, sought refuge in a church in Shamukjuli village in Sonitpur district, where 26 of the victims died. Another 200 people ran to a nearby school. The Adivasis are a mix of Hindus and Christians, and many had been preparing for Christmas when the attack took place, survivors said.
Bodo rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for their indigenous tribe, which makes up 10 percent of Assam's 33 million people. They have staged attacks against Adivasis and Muslim settlers, leaving about 10,000 people dead in the past three decades. In May, the same rebel group shot and killed more than 30 Muslims, authorities said.
Many of the dead in Tuesday's attacks included women and children, police said. The rebels may have been provoked by heavy losses they suffered recently as police intensified operations against the group, said S.N. Singh, a top police official.
"We are trying to ensure that ethnic violence does not flare up," he said, adding that a curfew was imposed in two districts and armed forces patrolled the area.
After the attacks, angry Adivasis surrounded a police station in Sonitpur and attempted to attack the officers inside, said Singh. Police opened fire, killing three Adivasis, he said.
He also said there were attacks on Bodo homes, but troops managed to control the situation.
Information for this article was contributed by Muneeza Naqvi of The Associated Press.
A Section on 12/25/2014