Toll in Assam violence rises to 13

Toll in Assam violence rises to 13  Guwahati, Oct 7 : The toll in the weekend massacre by tribal separatists in an Assam village rose to 13 with a woman succumbing to her injuries at a hospital here Wednesday, government officials said.

A government spokesperson said a 23-year-old woman with bullet wounds in her stomach died early Wednesday.

N. Bhattacharyya, a doctor at Guwahati Medical College, said: "We tried our best, but the injury in her abdomen was so extensive that she did not survive."

Militants of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) late Sunday attacked Bhimajuli village in Sonitpur district, about 240 km north of Assam's main city of Guwahati, and massacred 12 villagers.

At least 12 people are still in hospitals with multiple injuries. Mass funeral of the dead were held Tuesday.

"We are trying our best to instil a sense of confidence in the area by deploying adequate army, police, and paramilitary troopers," state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The NDFB rebels reportedly attacked the villagers after they refused to pay extortion money.(IANS)