The Assam minister of state for home, Pradyut Bordoloi, today alleged inJorhat tha the ULFA and the NSCN were involved in the massacre of 14 surrenderedULFA men in Dibrugarh district yesterday.
"It is not the work of any anti-social but a joint operation by the ULFA-NSCNcombine that killed the SULFA men who were having a meeting at Moran club," Bordoloi toldreporters here after visiting the spot.
He said the attack by the extremists were pre-planned as the SULFA under the banner"Asom atiya Mahasabha" hailing from neighbouring Sibsagar district were holding the meetingin Dibrugarh district.
After committing the crime the five-member gang of ULFA and NSCN fled towardsSibsagar via Mahmara to neighbouring Nagaland, he said.
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The home minister claimed that the SULFA neither took permission from the district authorities nor informedthe club authority about the meeting.
An inquiry panel would be formed by the government to ascertain the circumstances leading to the killing andany policemen found guilty would be punished, he promised.
A senior SULFA leader, Sunil Nath, has, however, claimed that 15 of his men were gunned down by theULFA.
Official sources quoting Assam Medical College Hospital authorities said that two of the injuredSULFA men were battling for their lives while the condition of the other eight was stable.
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'SULFA had not asked for security'
The IGP (law and order), B.P. Rao, said the SULFA men who had gathered forthe meeting did not ask for security from the district police.
"They had not asked for security which ultimately proved fatal", Raotold PTI today.
Circumstantial evidence pointed towards involvement of the ULFA, the policeofficer said adding SULFA, after yesterday's incident had been specificallyasked to abide by security rules.
"They were told the do's and don'ts of security to help avoid anyfurther incident," Rao, who took over charge after the new congressgovernment came to power, said.
Both the home minister and Rao's version, however, differed from the claim byULFA commander-in-chief, Paresh Baruah, who said it was a clash between twofactions of the SULFA on some business interest.
Rao said police was also taking precaution and stepped up security invulnerable areas to negate the possibility of a possible SULFA backlash againstthe ULFA.
The army has been alerted in upper Assam by the state government to preventretaliatory attacks following the massacre, official sources said today.
