Violence reported on Assam-Mizoram border; prohibitory orders clamped in Hailakandi

Several shacks weretorched and a few persons were injured in an attack byunidentified people in Hailakandi district of Assam near thestate's border with Mizoram, prompting the authorities toclamp prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in thedistrict, an official said on Wednesday.

The incidents of violence and arson took place atKachurthol under Ramnathpur police station area on Tuesdaynight.

The situation there was tense but under control, theofficial said.

The authorities have beefed up security in the areawhere senior officials of the civil and police administrationsare camping.

Apprehending further breach of public peace andtranquillity in the border areas following the incident,Additional District Magistrate R K Dam promulgated prohibitoryorders under Section 144 in the district with immediateeffect.

''Certain elements may take advantage of the presentfragile situation to create disturbance in public order anddestroy the harmonious co-existence of all sections of societyin the district,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Suzamuddin Laskar, the MLA of the area, haswritten to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and DirectorGeneral of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta urging them to takeimmediate steps to instill security among the people livingalong the border areas from ''armed aggression of theneighbouring state''.

The Katlicherra MLA claimed that around 30 people wereseriously injured in the attack and about 50 houses were burntby miscreants from the neighbouring state on Tuesday night.

Earlier on February 3, a school building was damagedin a powerful bomb explosion at Muliala in Hailakandi districtnear the Mizoram border.

Tension prevailed along the Assam-Mizoram border fordays in October and November last year after several peoplewere injured in a clash between the residents of Cachardistrict of Assam and Mizoram's Kolasib district. A number ofmakeshift huts in the border area were also torched at thattime.

Mizoram shares a 164.6 km border with Assam. Severaldialogues held since 1995 to resolve the boundary problem haveyielded little results.