December 2014 Assam violence

In December 2014, a series of attacks by militants resulted in the deaths of more than 76 people in India.^[1] The attacks took place in the Chirang, Sonitpur, and Kokrajhar districts on 23 December 2014. They were attributed to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB(S)).

The Adivasi people of Assam are mostly Santhals. The NDFB claims to represent the Bodo people; it has fought a secessionist war with the government for the establishment of a separate nation (Bodoland). Although a number of NDFB militants had agreed to a ceasefire and peace talks in the 2000s, the NDFB(S) faction, led by I K Songbijit, has refused to give up militancy.

In May 2014, the government attributed a similar attack on Muslim migrants to the NDFB(S), but the NDFB denied its involvement. The December attacks, described as one of the worst massacres in the history of North-East India, resulted in the deaths of 65 people by Bodo militants,^[3][4] and led to widespread protests by tribal people. The protests turned violent, leading to three more deaths at the hands of the police and a retaliatory attack of the Adivasi on Bodo villages, which resulted in the death of some Bodo people.^[3][2] On 26 December, the government of India declared the launch of Operation "All Out" to eliminate the NDFB(S) militants. It deployed an estimated 9,000 soldiers of the Indian Army and Central Reserve Police Force.^[1][2][4]