Diphu (Assam), December 04: The Assam Government today deployed Army under the Unified Command and shoot at sight order was issued in ethnic violence-hit Karbi Anglong district.

State Chief Secretary S Kabilan told reporters here that operations under the Unified Command have already been started and shoot at sight order was issued against any person other than security personnel found wearing army uniform and carrying arms.

Kabilan along with B K Gohain, Commisioner and Secretary to the Chief Minister, GOC 4 Corps Lt Gen H S Lidder and Director General of Police P V Sumant today visited Karbi Anglong and reviewed the law and order situation in the district, where ethnic clash between Karbis and Dimasas have claimed more than a hundred lives in the last two months.

Kabilan said the Artillery Regiment was already present in the district, while troops of the Infantry Regiment will now be deployed.

The militant outfits United Peoples’ Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) have been asked to remain within their designated camps and both the organisations will be called for talks by the Centre, he said.

The senior officials also directed the district’s Deputy Commissioner G D Tripathi and Superintendent of Police Anurag Tangkha to ensure that public announcements were made regarding the shoot-at-sight orders and that no genuine citizens were harassed.

Karbi Anglong district has witnessed ethnic violence between Karbi and Dimasa tribes since September 26 last with more than hundred lives lost from both sides so far while thousands of houses were torched forcing the victims to flee from their villages and take shelter in relief camps.

After a brief interlude, violence erupted again since November 29 with a group of unidentified extremists hacking to death a Nepali man and his pregnant wife in a remote Dimasa village, Gidingpur, under Diphu police station and torching of 50 abandoned houses.

Unidentified persons had also hurled a grenade at the residence of Padma Maibongsa, the Vice President of Jadhike Naisu Hason, an apex body of the Dimasa on December one.

Seven persons, including a woman and two infants were killed and two others injured, in Karbi village Chirkongnep, under Diphu PS by suspected Dimasa militants who also set ablaze houses of six Karbi families on December two.

A group of DHD insurgents also exchanged fire with police the same day at a place at Bokajan PS and one of the militants in army uniform was killed while police and CRPF personnel raided a DHD designated camp at Dhansiri demolishing the checkpost and entry gate and seizing three motorcycles.

At least 100 Karbi houses were burnt by the rival Dimasas at Dikoiterang and Ronghan bustee yesterday but no casualty was reported.