A violent confrontation along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border has left at least 18 people injured, four of them critically, after unidentified persons allegedly opened fire in a dispute over land encroachment. The incident occurred in the inter-state border area on Monday morning. The injured were rushed to hospital for treatment, with the four critically injured individuals later shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh for further care.
The incident has been linked to an ongoing inter-state boundary land dispute between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that the situation has been brought under control and tensions have been defused. He has deputed Education Minister Ranoj Pegu to communicate with his counterpart in Arunachal Pradesh, while the Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary will hold discussions with their counterparts in Arunachal Pradesh to prevent further escalation.
The Galo Students’ Union has sought immediate deployment of adequate police and paramilitary forces at Hime village and surrounding areas to prevent further escalation. The incident has occurred against a backdrop of longstanding tension along the Arunachal Pradesh-Assam boundary, where land-related disputes have previously been reported. Students’ organisations have appealed for immediate administrative and security intervention, urging restraint to prevent further escalation.
