At least seven persons were killed when police fired on a group of Bangladeshi migrants who tried to defy shoot-at-sight orders in troubled- torn districts of Darrang and Udalguri even as violent clashes between the immigrant workers and tribal Bodos claimed seven more lives.

The clashes that broke out on Friday over stealing of cattle have already claimed 16 lives. With today's incidents the toll went up to 30.

Police said five migrants were hacked to death and another one was critically injured by unidentified persons at Dimakuchi weekly market, where they had come to trade in dry fish.

The injured was identified as Babul Ali and rushed to hospital at Udalguri town.

Police said unidentified persons attacked several Bangladeshi immigrants at Khoirbari area in the district in the early hours of the day and burnt down 11 houses.

Yet another house was burnt down at Tangla in neighbouring Darrang district but there was no casualty in any of the two incidents.

Police had to fire in the air at Tiyajhar in Udalguri district to disperse a mob resulting in the injury of two persons.

Army staged flag marches in all the affected areas of Darrang and Udalguri and indefinite curfew continued at Dalgaon and Dhola in the two districts respectively.

The army has deployed 10 companies in the two trouble-torn districts, official sources said.

Thousand of Bodos have fled their homes in panic and have taken shelter in temporary relief camps set up by the administration in five places, they said.

Udalguri Deputy Commissioner George Basumatary has been transferred and SP Anup Kumar Singh suspended for dereliction of duty and have been replaced by Kamal Mahanta and A K Tiwari respectively.

State ministers Pramila Rani Brahma, Chandan Brahma and Rihon Daimary, who all belong to the Bodo community, are camping in Udalguri and Darrang, while former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta visited the two districts and urged people to maintain peace.

Trouble erupted after a group of people belonging to the minority community allegedly stole some cattle from Bodo-dominated Mohanpur village. The villagers attacked them and clashes followed.

The violence spread to Darrang district, where over 30 houses were gutted and several injured at Besimari and Balabari villages under Dalgaon police station prompting the police to fire in the air to disperse a marauding mob and the district administration to impose indefinite curfew.