Six people, including a forest official, were killed in an inter-state border clash in northeastern India, officials said.
The Assam state police claimed that people from the neighbouring Meghalaya state attacked the police and forest officials in order to free timber smugglers and their driver, who were apprehended by forest guards.
Senior police official Imdad Ali told Press Trust of India that the people were demanding the immediate release of those arrested and attacked, “which prompted the police to resort to firing to bring the situation under control.”
Five people were killed in the shooting, and a forest guard was also killed in the clash with the locals from the neighbouring state.
Earlier, the Assam Forest Guards on a tip-off intercepted and apprehended three people, including a truck driver, who was forced to stop the vehicle after bullet fire flattened its tyre as they were transporting illegal timber towards West Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya state, the official said, adding that some managed to flee.— Agencies
