Kokrajhar, Feb. 24: Four youths were killed at Gerua Ashram village under Borbari police station in Baksa district last night by unidentified men.

Raju Boro, 20, Phunka Boro, 18, Bijoy Boro, 15 and Hemanta Boro, 18, were attacked with sharp weapons and killed around 10.30pm.

The bodies bore multiple injury marks.

All victims were students but one was a school dropout. Raju was a BA first year student of Baska College, Phunka was a HS final-year student of that college, Bijoy was an HSLC candidate and Hemanta was a Class VII dropout.

Raju, Phungka and Hemanta were from Gerua Ashram while Bijoy was from neighbouring Uttarpara.

Sources said the youths went to Baganpara Chowk to purchase books earlier in the day. In the evening, they all had dinner at Hemanta’s house.

“After dinner, the youths were taking a stroll in the vicinity when the incident happened. It was around 10.30pm,” a source said. The source quoted Madan Boro, father of Hemanta, as saying that on hearing a quarrel he stepped out to see what was going on but the men threatened him and asked him to go back. Nearly 15 people who had attacked the youths, Boro said.

Sources in the area also said the assailants had fired three rounds in the air before leaving the place.

The superintendent of police, Baksa, Bir Bikram Gogoi, said that the youths were attacked with sharp weapons. Gogoi suspected “personal enmity” behind the killings. “It is difficult to comment before an investigation. One person has been picked up from the area,” he said.

Fear gripped residents of the area following the killings.