GUWAHATI: At least 18 people were injured, four of them critically, after unidentified armed men opened fire in an area along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, officials said.
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The incident occurred following a confrontation in the border region, although the exact cause of the clash has not yet been established, according to local authorities. The firing has heightened tensions in the area, which has witnessed disputes between the two states over their boundary.
All the injured were rushed for medical treatment, with those in critical condition shifted for advanced care. The identity of the assailants remains unknown, and a search is underway to trace those involved in the firing.
Security forces and the local administration are closely monitoring the situation as investigators work to determine what triggered the shooting.
Reacting to the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described it as a localised conflict and said the chief secretaries of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were in discussions over the matter.
Sarma said an investigation would be conducted to establish the cause of the firing and that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible. He also directed Assam Police to remain vigilant and said reinforcements had been dispatched to the affected area.
The Chief Minister added that while detailed information was not immediately available, the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Assam's Education Minister were in contact with their counterparts in Arunachal Pradesh to help defuse tensions.
The incident marks the latest flashpoint in the long-running boundary tensions between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The two northeastern states have witnessed sporadic clashes over disputed areas in recent years despite ongoing efforts to resolve the boundary dispute, including an agreement reached in 2026.