18 Assam villagers injured in firing along Arunachal border amid land dispute

On Monday morning, unidentified assailants from Arunachal Pradesh opened fire on residents of Mingmang Badati village in Assam's Dhemaji district. At least 18 villagers were injured, with four suffering critical injuries. The attack occurred amid a long-standing land dispute over conflicting claims along the porous border. Police stated that the assailants had fired indiscriminately, targeting villagers on the Assam side.

Security measures were subsequently heightened in the region. All injured individuals were initially treated at Gogamukh Rural Hospital, with seven later transferred to Dhemaji Civil Hospital in critical condition. Four victims were subsequently moved to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh for specialized care. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted ongoing discussions between the chief secretaries of both states and coordination efforts between police authorities to defuse tensions.

The incident was described as "localised" in the evening, with Sarma stating that the situation was promptly brought under control. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu was tasked with engaging the Arunachal Pradesh government to resolve immediate differences, and both state chief secretaries and DGP were maintaining regular communication.

This violence marks the latest incident in a longstanding boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which share an 804-kilometer border. The disagreement stems from the reorganization of the northeast following India's independence, with Arunachal Pradesh initially administered by the Centre before becoming a Union Territory and later attaining statehood in 1987.

A tripartite committee recommended transferring certain territories from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh, but Assam contested these recommendations. The dispute remains pending before the Supreme Court, with both states making separate claims over the contested territories. Recent efforts towards a negotiated settlement, including the Namsai Declaration in July 2022, aimed to address claims on the ground and consult local communities.

Assam's Chief Minister Sarma emphasized the necessity of de-escalating the situation and securing Assam's territorial integrity.