Firing at Assam-Mizoram Border Escalates Tension Again, One Civilian Injured

One Mizoram civilian among the three who were fired at by the Assam police is reported to be injured.

Assam-Mizoram maps used for representation.

(Image: The Quint/ Kamran Akhter)

Weeks after the deaths of six policemen in violent clashes at the Assam-Mizoram border, tension escalated once again at the border shared by the Hailakandi-Kolasib districts on Wednesday, 18 August, after another firing incident took place, which reportedly injured one person.

Mizoram has alleged that the Assam police fired at three civilians on the boundary along Hailakandi-Kolasib districts. However, Assam police claimed that they only retaliated to "miscreants" from the Mizoram side who opened fire first.

What Mizoram Police Said

Three people from Vairengte had reportedly gone to Aitlang Tlangpui in Kolasib to collect meat from their friend near the border at 2 am on Tuesday, 17 August, The Indian Express (IE) reported quoting Kolasib district Deputy Commissioner H Lalthlangliana.

An Assam official told IE they were keeping a lookout on the hill in lieu of ongoing road construction on the Mizoram side where the incident happened.

"Around 2 am, the officials sensed that some people were moving tactically in the area. Our officials asked them to identify themselves but they did not answer and suddenly they opened fire at us. In retaliation, Assam police also fired. After that, they disappeared…it was very dark," he told IE.

A case has been registered in the matter.

The Border Dispute

Clashes erupted at the Assam-Mizoram border on 26 July that led to the death of six Assam policemen, an incident which was among the deadliest in recent times at the 164.6 km long border that runs between the two states.

At least 50 people were injured in the incident.

The Assam government, currently led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, has decided to approach the Supreme Court for the protection of the Innerline Forest Reserve from destruction and encroachment by Mizoram.

The conflict-ridden history of this tenuous border, lined by the Barak Valley – Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj on the Assam side, and Kolasib, Aizawl, and Mamit on the Mizoram side, dates back to the colonial era.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)