GUWAHATI, Aug. 10: At least 18 people were injured, four of them critically, after unidentified persons from the Arunachal Pradesh side allegedly opened fire during a confrontation along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, escalating tension in the sensitive region.
The firing was reported at Mingmang Basti following a dispute over alleged land encroachment. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, while four critically injured persons were shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh for treatment.
The incident came after an alleged shooting of a Mising youth near Kangku Circle in Lower Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Assam’s Dhemaji district.
According to preliminary reports, the youth had gone missing and was later found with a leg injury. The identity of the person who allegedly shot him and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
The reported shooting was followed by a confrontation between people from Dhemaji and Lower Siang, raising concerns of further tension in the border area. There were also reports of heightened tension between members of the Mising and Galo communities.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said discussions were underway between the Chief Secretaries of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, while the Directors General of Police of both states were also examining the situation.
Sarma said Assam would not compromise on its territorial interests.
“Assam’s land will not be surrendered under any circumstances,” he said, adding that reinforcements had been dispatched to the affected area.
The incident came against the backdrop of the long-standing Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary dispute, with several areas along the inter-state boundary remaining sensitive over land and alleged encroachment.
Authorities were monitoring the situation and taking steps to prevent further escalation.
