AKIPRESS.COM - An unidentified gunman on Friday shot dead at least 12 people and wounded 15 in a busy market area in a town in restive Assam, police officials said.

The gunman opened fire at the crowded market in Kokrajhar, a town about 220 km west of the state’s commercial capital Guwahati, superintendent of police in the town of Sreejith T told Reuters.

The encounter reportedly began when police responded to a militant who opened fire in a market area.

Television news channels quoted the Assam director general of police saying were three to four militants involved, but Hindustan Times could not independently verify this.