One person was killed and thousands have fled their homes in Golaghat district of Assam that borders neighbouring Nagaland after suspected armed miscreants from Nagaland side fired indiscriminately at villages on the Assam side of the inter-state border last night.
Tension was running high in Uriamghat area under Dhansiri sub-division in the district on Wednesday although the State Government has rushed more additional forces to defuse the situation.Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested him to send more additional Central paramilitary forces for deployment in the trouble-torn areas in the district following the clash.
Assam Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain on Wednesday informed the State legislative Assembly that the incident took place at Uriamghat area under Dhansiri sub-division of the district last night."Armed miscreants from Nagaland side opened fire on a group of people agitating before a CRPF camp located at Sector D area along the border, demanding release of two school students suspected to have been abducted by a Naga insurgent group. As the CRPF personnel, who had been stationed in the Disturbed Area Belt (DAB) along the Assam-Nagaland border as a neutral force since 1979, were discussing the issue with the agitators, mostly Adivasi people, armed miscreants from Nagaland side opened fire," said Hussain, while adding that four persons were injured.
"later one of the injured, Fasai Karmakar, breathed his last while on way to the hospital," the Minister told the House while adding that the security forces later found at least five villages on the Assam side of the border — Chetia Gaon, Seinpur, Ratanpur, Roman Basti and Kemphur - being set on fire by miscreants."The State Government had already sent three companies of Quick Reaction Team and one company of additional forces to the affected areas to ensure that the situation does not deteriorate," Hussain told the House.
"The incident has triggered panic among the people living along the Assam-Nagaland border and about 5,000 people have left their houses and taken shelter in eight relief camps set up by the district administration," Hussain told the House.Gogoi, who is closely monitoring the situation, has also asked Chief Secretary, Jitesh Khosla to take up the matter with his Nagaland counterpart and to explore all possible ways to defuse the tension in the bordering areas.
"More forces have been rushed to the area and the districts bordering Nagaland have been put on alert. The situation is under control now and we have sought ten additional companies from the Ministry of Home Affairs," Commissioner & Secretary GD Tripathi said.
