6 Assam cops dead, SP among 50 hurt as violence at border with Mizoram

GUWAHATI: Six Assam police personnel were killed while over two dozen others, including civilians,  injured when the Assam and Mizoram bitter border row flared up on Monday that saw the police of the two states firing shots at each other.

The injured included Assam’s Cachar Superintendent of Police Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant and the officer-in-charge of Dholai police station in the district.

“I am deeply pained to inform that six brave jawans of @assampolice have sacrificed their lives while defending constitutional boundary of our state at the Assam-Mizoram border. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

The incident came amidst a fortnight-long eyeball to eyeball confrontation between the two police forces and two days after the CMs of the two states discussed the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Meghalaya capital Shillong.

Shah spoke to the two CMs on Monday and asked them to peacefully resolve the issue. Following his intervention, the Assam Police withdrew from the site. The CRPF is now manning the area.

Assam government sources said the trouble broke out when the Assam Police personnel stopped the Mizoram authority from constructing a road within Assam’s “constitutional” territory.

As the tension continued, Sarma and Zoramthanga were found engaged in a Twitter spat.

Zoramthanga condemned the Assam government’s “unjustified act” of intrusion and aggression into Mizoram’s territory. He said the needless injuries on both sides could have been avoided.