Rebels kill 15 in Indian northeast - police

Heavily-armed separatist rebels today ambushed a bus in India’s remote northeast and killed at least 15 people after lining them up next to the road, police said.

Another 25 people were seriously injured in the attack in Raksamgiri, a village 250 miles west of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state, said police chief L Sailo.

“The militants waylaid the truck, asked the passengers to line up and shot them from close range with automatic weapons,” Sailo said.

Nearly 100 people were travelling in the truck when the attack happened.

No one claimed responsibility for the ambush, which occurred as the villagers were on their way to market.

But police blamed insurgent groups, who regularly target civilians.

The rebels have been fighting for separate homelands in the northeastern region bordering Bhutan, Burma and Bangladesh.

Today’s ambush was the first major insurgent attack ahead of India’s Independence Day celebrations on Thursday.

Nearly a dozen outlawed militant groups have asked people to boycott the celebrations in the northeast.