Two people in Assam’s Dima Hasao district were allegedly beaten to death on Monday by suspected militants of the Dimasa National Liberation Army, East Mojo reported.

The accused persons have been arrested, said Dima Hasao Additional Superintendent of Police Indraneel Barua.

“They have confessed to their involvement in physical assault on civilians which left two dead,” the police officer told the website.

A third person, who was reportedly associated with the group, was also beaten up by the suspected militants as he tried to escape their camp in the district’s Maibang town, PTI reported. He died at a hospital on Tuesday. Eight others were injured.

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Residents of the area said that the accused persons took six men, who had allegedly stolen parts of an abandoned machine, to their camp on Sunday night. When the men did not return home till Monday, the residents approached the police, who found their bodies.

Local organisations in Dima Hasao district urged the authorities to conduct a swift investigation into the deaths.

“We are very anguished for such heinous crime perpetrated by the DNLA [Dimasa National Liberation Army] cadres,” the Dimasa Apex Body, Dimasa Jalai Hosom and Dimasa Students’ Union said, according to Time8. “This killing has cast a shadow of gloom over this district. This must be investigated thoroughly and those responsible must be booked and awarded punishment as per the law.”

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The Dimasa National Liberation Army, which was launched in April 2019, seeks an independent country for the Dimasa community. In November, the militant group’s commander-in-chief and 46 others had laid down their arms in Dima Hasao district.

The Dimasas are an indigenous community living in Assam and Nagaland. Most of them live in the Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council, Cachar District, Nagaon District of Assam, and Nagaland’s Dhansiri region.