Seven persons were arrested in Assam’s Lakhimpur district after three alleged cattle skulls were found near a prayer hall, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.

The arrested persons were identified as Monsur Ali (60), Mohammad Rejjak Ali (29), Saha Ali (48), Diluar Hussain (25), Dildar Hussain (30), Abu Kalam Ali (33) and Jahidul Islam (22).

“During a search at Monsur Ali’s residence, three additional cattle skulls were recovered and seized,” the chief minister claimed in a social media post.

An investigation into the incident and “technical analysis” is underway, Sarma added.

This comes days after at least 60 persons were arrested over the course of a week in connection with the communal tensions that broke out in the state’s Dhubri town on June 8.

The tensions had erupted after the remains of an animal were discovered near a Hindu temple. Sarma had claimed that the animal remains found near the temple on June 8 were part of the head of a cow.

On June 13, the state government issued nighttime shoot-at-sight orders in Dhubri to bring the situation under control. The chief minister claimed that the next day, another severed animal head was found in front of the temple premises, which sparked violence.

The persons arrested in the Dhubri incident have been booked under non-bailable offences.

On June 15, Biswa said that the Assam Police had arrested five persons for allegedly throwing beef near a temple in Goalpara.