Bullets fired in Assam Mizoram Border at Lailapur; officials' car vandalised; Police injured

The situation in Assam Mizoram border at Cachar’s Lailapur area in Dholai constituency got tensed as reports of firing are emerging from the ground. As per available information, DC Cachar Keerthi Jalli’s convoy was attacked by the Mizo miscreants earlier today. Air gun and tear gas was fired by Mizo force leaving almost 20 injured.

The Deputy Commissioner of Cachar along with Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chandrakant Nimbalkar, DIG Southern Range Zone Devajyoti Mukherjee and other senior officials are on the spot. As announced earlier, Cachar District Administration under the instruction of Dispur is forcing the Mizo battalions and armed civilians to retreat as they have encroached more than three kilometres within Assam.

After the sudden blitzkrieg at Assam’s officials, a clash broke between the two parties and as per reports fire was opened. Cars from both sides were vandalised and police sources informed that as many as eight police officials and four civilians were injured and rushed to Dholai PHC with bullet injuries. Some reported with complaints of viewing difficulties. The hospital too looked like a scene of chaos as people thronged at the centre.

The clash broke near an auto stand situated between Lailapur and Vairangtee. SP Cachar is on the spot and was unavailable for a comment. Meanwhile, Assam’s Home Secretary Diganta Bora said that he doesn’t want to comment at this stage as he would first like to get a report from the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar and the senior police formation.

It is worth mentioning here that the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar who got attacked today allegedly by the Mizo miscreants had given a warm welcome to Zoramthanga, the Chief Minister of Mizoram when he stopped at Mizoram House a couple of days back. Zoramthanga met Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah at the recently held meeting in Meghalaya. It was expected that the border tension between the two Indian states will subsequently subside but it didn’t happen. Instead, a senior officer of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) was attacked within the territorial boundary of her jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Chief Ministers of the two neighbouring states also took to twitter for reacting to the tensed border skirmish. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga posted on his twitter handle “Shri @AmitShah ji….kindly look into the matter. This needs to be stopped right now” referring to the clash with a video. Assam Chief Minister cum NEDA Chief Himanta Biswa Sharma rebutted by quoting his tweet and wrote  “Honble Zoramthanga ji could you please investigate why are civilians from Mizoram holding sticks and trying to incite violence? We urge civilians to not take up law and order on their own hands and permit peaceful dialogue to take place between governments.”