May 2014 Assam violence

2014 Assam violence
Part of Insurgency in Northeast India
Location	Assam, India
Date	1 May 2014 (2014-05-01) – 3 May 2014 (2014-05-03)
Weapons	AK 47
Deaths	33 and 3 suspects
Suspected perpetrators	National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit faction)
Motive	Not voting for Bodos

From the night of 1 May 2014 until the early morning hours of 3 May a series of attacks occurred on the Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam, a north-eastern state of India. The perpetrator is unknown, but is suspected to be the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) of Songbijit faction. Speculated to be revenge for not voting for NDFB in the Lok Sabha elections, the death toll reached 32.

The Bodos are an indigenous tribe in Assam state of India. It is about 10% its population of 44 million people. Insurgency in Northeast India is ongoing for decades involving several rebel groups. In 2012, violence between Bodo tribal people and Muslims resulted in 108 deaths. In India, Loksabha election is ongoing which will conclude its last phase on May 12 and the results will be declared on May 16.

Around 07:30 PM IST on 1 May, insurgents raided the Narsingbari village of Baksa district opening fire on a house, killing three women and injuring two others. The attackers had arrived on bicycles. On early hours of 2 May, another group of insurgents opened fire at three houses in Balapara village of Kokrajhar district, killing seven people. On the evening of the same day, another group killed 12 people and burnt down 30 thatched houses near Baksa's Manas National Park.

On 3 May, four suspected insurgents attacked police in the forest near Tejpur. Police fired in retaliation which killed two while two other escaped. Police also killed one more suspect in Udalguri district from whom they recovered a revolver and a hand grenade.

Police arrested 22 people along with eight forest guards to investigate their involvement. The Assam Government has decided to hand over the probe to National Investigation Agency.