India’s rebel state: Deadly attacks in Assam ahead of independence celebrations

At least 21 people were killed and another 15 wounded in attacks by rebel separatists in the Indian state of Assam. Police said gunmen attacked a remote village, and shot 12 people on the spot. Others died in bomb attacks. The victims were non-Assamese Hindus, whom the rebels accuse of stealing their state’s resources and ruining its culture. Assam is in India’s far northeast, linked to the rest of the country by a thin strip of land. The attacks come just days before India celebrates 60 years of independence. Rebel forces usually step up their attacks in the run-up to August 15th, which marks the end of British rule in India in 1947. Rebel groups have been fighting for an independent homeland in Assam since 1979. More than 20,000 people have died so far.

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