8 critical as Arunachal miscreants open fire on Assam border

Guwahati: At least eight people from Assam were injured in firing by miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh along the inter-state border in Dhemaji district on Monday over alleged encroachment of land, officials said.

A senior official said, "The incident took place in Mingmang Basti along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border due to a dispute over alleged encroachment of land. There was indiscriminate firing by miscreants from the Arunachal Pradesh side."

The injured were identified as Durgheswar Patir, Rohit Dole, Nagaraj Dole, Biggeshwar Patir, Pame Pegu, Sanjay Tayung, Utpal Dole and Jan Dole. Officials said, "They were admitted to Gogamukh Rural Hospital, and seven of them were later referred to Dhemaji Civil Hospital in critical condition."


Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told mediapersons, "There were clashes between some people from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. I have got the information that the matter has been almost resolved. I have deputed education minister Ranoj Pegu to talk to his counterpart in Arunachal. Both the chief secretary and DGP are in touch with their counterparts in Arunachal. I think the matter has been resolved.

It is a localised conflict and has nothing to do with the state as such." In April 2023, the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments had signed an agreement in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah to resolve their five-decade-old border dispute. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share an 804.1 km-long border. The two states have been in discussions to resolve the border dispute, with Sarma and Arunachal Pradeh CM Pema Khandu signing the Namsai Declaration on July 15, 2022, under which they pledged to find a solution soon.