Assam Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi and security officers escape from gunfire
A Congress MLA in Assam, his security officers and others came under intense gunfire in a forest in Jorhat district, along the state border with Nagaland. Visuals of the attack show the MLA and the others running in the jungle as bullets whizzed past them. The gunfire came from the Nagaland side of the state border, a senior police officer said.
Three reporters were also injured in the incident, sources have said.
"Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi along with his personal security officers and others had gone to check encroachment from the other side at Dessoi valley reserve forest, when suddenly they were fired upon from the other side. They managed to escape from the area," the officer said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern over the incident and asked senior police officer GP Singh to go to the area and monitor the situation.
Assam shares interstate border with Nagaland in five districts - Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong. These areas have frequently seen skirmishes for the last two decades due to alleged encroachment from Nagaland side.
"Today, I went to Dessoi valley reserve forest after getting reports of encroachment from the other side. Suddenly, some people opened fire at us and we luckily escaped from that place. I have already raised the question (of encroachment) in the Assam assembly, but the government is not talking to its Nagaland counterpart to solve the issue," Rupjyoti Kurmi said.
Jorhat police chief Ankur Jain said the area where the firing took place is disputed land. "This is a disputed area and a few days ago the Forest Department cleared encroachments. Villagers on the other side of the state border panicked and started firing. Security forces engaged them," Mr Jain said.