Nagaon, Aug. 22: The anti-talks faction of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) last night gunned down five members of a family from Bihar and injured two as part of “Operation Rangni”, an offensive against the Hindi-speaking community of Karbi Anglong district.

Superintendent of police Abdul Kuddus said two UPDS militants, one carrying an AK-47 rifle and the other a 9mm pistol, barged into the residence of Kedar Rai, a grade IV employee of the irrigation department, in the Dilaimukh Rangfarbasti area around 9 pm.

On being told by his 22-year-old son Shatrughna that Rai was not at home, the militants lined up the rest of the family in the living room and fired continuously for several minutes. Five members of the Rai household were killed on the spot, while two infants were seriously injured.

A day-old grandchild of Rai and three other members of the family escaped unhurt.

The injured infants are six months and nine months old. The victims were Sabinda Devi (40), Prava Devi (24), Santu Rai (20), Runu Kumar (19) and Shatrughna.

The superintendent of police said preliminary investigations revealed that the two assailants had come to the Rai residence and left on foot.

The police found 17 empty AK-47 and 9mm pistol shells in the room where the killings took place.

Kuddus said the anti-talks faction of the UPDS presumably targeted Rai’s family because he had a personal rivalry with a colleague from the Karbi community.

The UPDS has set October 17 as the deadline for all Hindi-speaking people to leave Karbi Anglong. The militant group had called a 72-hour Karbi Anglong bandh recently in protest against alleged encroachment of tribal land by non-Karbi people.

Rai’s is the only non-tribal household in the Dilaimukh Rangfarbasti area, which is under the jurisdiction of Manja police station.

Sources said the irrigation department employee had been transferred to Ganfai, but he refused to vacate his government quarter for his Karbi replacement, Hemali Killing.

The police said Hemali’s brother Ranjit was a member of the UPDS and masterminded the attack last night. Hemali and two residents — Nripen Killing and Rajen Killing — were arrested today. However, Ranjit is absconding.