As many as six police officers from Assam lost their life in the fresh violent row that erupted at the disputed Assam-Mizoram border, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Reportedly, shots have been fired between the border area of Assam's Cachar district and Mizoram's Colasib district along with allegations of attacks on government vehicles. Following allegations of violence, the chief ministers of Assam and Mizoram hurled accusations on Twitter and asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene.
Reportedly, the violence took place two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met all the northeast's Chief Ministers in Shillong. Now, Mr. Shah has called up both the ministers and has asked them to resolve the border conflict.
Presently, both states' police units have returned from the disputed location.
The inter-state border troubles issues were discussed when the Union Home Minister met the Chief Ministers of eight northeastern states in Shillong on July 24. The first Chief Minister-level meeting to resolve the border troubles between Assam and Meghalaya was held a day before in Shillong and both sides decided to solve disputes in 12 bordering locations in a phased manner.
According to Assam Police, since October last year, several inter-state border skirmishes have taken place along the 164.6 km border in which one man was killed, and over 50 people injured, besides large scale damage caused to properties, including government-run schools, shops and houses along the border.
Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana had said earlier that the crops of Mizo farmers had been destroyed at Buarchep (in Kolasib) by the Assam Police earlier this month and demanded adequate compensation by the Assam government.
Since, June 29 of this year, the troubles along the borders of the two northeastern states have resumed after the two states accused each other of encroachment at Aitlang hnar near Vairengte, which borders Assam's Hailakandi district.
Tension further shot up when Assam officials reportedly destroyed some plantations at Buarchep in the Phainuam area bordering Cachar district on July 10 during the eviction, even as Assam officials claimed that the people of Mizoram encroached more than six km into its territory.