Nine dead in Indian rebel attack

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

Nine railway workers have been killed in two rebel attacks in India's north-east state of Assam, police say.

Rebels belonging to the Dimasa tribe attacked a railway construction site at Fiding and killed eight workers late on Sunday, police said.

Another railway employee was killed in a separate attack on Saturday.

The rebels belong to a breakaway tribal rebel group called Black Widow. They are fighting for an independent homeland for the Dimasa tribe.

The rebels have regularly attacked security forces and expatriate workers.

A rebel spokesman Jewel Garlossa told journalists over phone that the attacks were in retaliation to an attack on their camp by Indian soldiers at Harelu village on Saturday.

He said 12 rebels had been killed in the attack.

Indian army officials said there had been an "encounter" with the rebels on Saturday, but denied any deaths in the incident.