GUWAHATI: An anti-drug operation along the sensitive Assam–Manipur border turned violent on Tuesday night, May 5, after suspected traffickers opened fire on a police team, critically injuring a senior personnel during an encounter in the Joypur–Jirighat border belt.
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The incident occurred in Diglang Basti under Jirighat around 8 PM, when a team from Cachar Police, led by the Lakhipur Sub-Divisional Police Officer, launched a raid based on specific intelligence inputs regarding drug-related activities.
The injured policeman has been identified as Havildar Sharif Hossain Kazi (50). He was initially rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for emergency treatment before being airlifted to Guwahati on Wednesday morning for specialised care, reports said.
According to reports, the suspected drug peddlers, believed to have links to neighbouring Manipur, opened fire on the team during the operation and later fled into dense forest areas under the cover of darkness. No arrests have been made so far.
Following the incident, additional security forces, including personnel from the Assam Rifles, have been deployed in the region. A massive search operation is currently underway across the border areas to track down the accused.
Cachar shares a porous and sensitive border with Manipur, and similar confrontations involving drug traffickers and security forces have been reported in the past.
