At least six personnel of Assam police lost their lives on Monday in the border clashes with Mizoram, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed.
The development came amid tensions between two states over the border dispute.
Taking to microblogging website Twitter, Sarma wrote, “I am deeply pained to inform that six brave jawans of Assam Police have sacrificed their lives while defending constitutional boundary of our state at the Assam-Mizoram border. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.”
Sarma said that there was firing by miscreants from the Mizoram side along the inter-state border in the Cachar district.
At least 50 personnel, including Cachar SP Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant, were injured in the firing and stone-pelting, a senior Assam Police officer, who was present in the forest amid continuous firing from across the border, said.
The senior police officer said that the miscreants started firing suddenly from across the border when civil officials from both sides were holding talks to resolve the differences.
“I can’t immediately say how many people were injured, but I estimate at least 50 personnel were injured,” the officer said over the phone. “Our SP was also injured in the firing and one bullet hit his leg,” he said.
Not only this, when the IPS officer was giving information about this news on the phone, he was hiding inside the forest and the sound of firing could be heard from behind.
On the other hand, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke to the Chief Ministers of Assam and Mizoram on the ongoing border dispute and asked them to ensure a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
The Home Minister asked the Chief Ministers to resolve the border dispute with mutual consent.
A war of words broke out on Twitter on Monday between the Chief Ministers of both the states. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga, in a series of tweets, sought to blame each other`s officials for the violence, while calling on Amit Shah to urgently intervene to control the situation.
Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana in Aizawl said that around 200 Assam armed Police led by an Inspector General of Police, accompanied by DC, Cachar, SP, Cachar and Divisional Forest Officer came to the Vairengte auto-rickshaw stand on Monday and forcibly crossed the duty post manned by CRPF personnel stationed there and overran a duty post manned by the Mizoram police personnel.
He said the Assam Police also damaged several vehicles while travelling along the National Highway between Vairengte and Lailapur.
“The confrontation continued and a volley of tear gas canisters and grenades were launched at Mizoram Police followed by firing from the Assam side.
“Mizoram Police responded spontaneously by firing back at Assam Police inspite of the fact that SP, Kolasib District was still inside CRPF duty camp negotiating with the Assam Police authorities,” the Mizoram Home Minister said in a statement.
The statement said that the Mizoram Government strongly condemns the unjustified act of the Government of Assam in this intrusion and aggression into the territory of Mizoram.
The Government of Mizoram deeply regrets the needless injuries on both sides which could have been avoided and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured, it added.
News feed : Agency inputs
