5 people killed, 54 houses set ablaze in N.C. Hills

Guwahati: Suspected militants gunned down five people, including four women, in a pre-dawn swoop on a Zeme Naga village in southern Assam’s North Cachar Hills district on Wednesday. The militants set ablaze 54 houses in the village.

With this, the death toll in militants’ attacks on villages belonging to Dimasa and Zeme Naga tribes in the hill district since March 18 has gone up to 31.

Deputy Commissioner S. Jagannathan told The Hindu that about 25-30 unidentified armed miscreants attacked the Boro Chenam village, about 40 km. off Haflong, the district headquarters town between 3.40 a.m. and 4 a.m.

A team of National Investigation Agency arrived here to formally take over the two cases of recovery of cash amounting to more than Rs. 1 crore near the Assam-Meghalaya border.

The cash was meant for payment for an arms procurement deal of the militant Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel faction).

Chief Executive Member of the N.C. Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) Mohit Hojai and three others have been arrested in connection with the cash haul.