New Delhi: Tension along the Mizoram-Assam border escalated again on Tuesday when personnel of the Assam police allegedly fired on civilians of the neighbouring state injuring one, an official said. The incident occurred three weeks after a violent clash between police forces of the two North-eastern states left seven people dead and over 50 injured on July 26 and a process of rapprochement is on.
Kolasib district Deputy Commissioner H. Lalthlangliana told PTI that the incident occurred at around 2 am at the disputed Aitlang area bordering Assam’s Hailakandi district when three residents of Vairengte town went there to collect meat from a friend, a resident of Bilaipur in Assam, who invited them to come.
One person was injured in the firing by Assam Police personnel who were guarding the inter-state border, he said. Reaction from the Assam side is not yet available.
Earlier, during a meeting called by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) it was decided a neutral central force will be deployed along the disturbed Assam-Mizoram border, news agency PTI reported.
The decision was taken after a two-hour-long meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and attended by Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah and Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta and their respective Mizoram counterparts Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and SBK Singh.
Both state governments have agreed to the deployment of a neutral Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) at the disturbed interstate border along the National Highway 306, a home ministry official said, news agency PTI reported.
(With PTI Inputs)