Three persons injured in Nagaland-Assam border violence

Heavy exchange of fire broke out today when suspected extremists from Nagaland allegedly opened fire on security personnel and workers engaged in an anti-encroachment operation in Doldoli Reserve Forest in Assam, leaving three persons injured.
"Firing is still continuing by suspected extremists from Nagaland side and three persons have been injured," Additional Superintendent of Police (Border) Nanda Singh told PTI this evening.
An Assam Police personnel, a forest guard and a labourer were injured and they have been shifted to a hospital, he said.
The suspected extremists fired from INSAS rifles, light machine guns, rocket launchers and hurled bombs at the labourers and officials from police, forest and Karbi Anglong district administration, who were engaged in the eviction exercise to free the Doldoli Reserve Forest from Naga encroachers, the ASP said.

The police retaliated and heavy exchange of fire was still continuing with the attackers, who are positioned inside the bunkers set up along the Assam-Nagaland border, Singh who was leading the operation, said.
About 150 illegally constructed houses were pulled down in the forest area falling under Diphu police station during the operation today, the ASP said.

A total of 69 illegally constructed houses under Lahorijan border outpost, 300 under Dikoi (BOP) and 70 under Sankertilla (BOP) were demolished yesterday.
Since January this year, Singh said anti-socials had occupied several hundred hectares of the Reserve Forest and were periodically firing on security personnel at Sankertilla, Kasiram, Lahorijan and Rangapa BOP areas.

In this connection, nine cases were registered in Diphu police station and 55 persons arrested since then, he said.