Guwahati, Nov 22: Four persons, including an Assam forest guard, were killed after a timber mafia attacked a team of Assam Police and forest guards in the West Karbi Anglong district of Assam close to the border with Meghalaya.
According to reports, a timber-carrying truck was asked to stop at a police check post at Moikrang in West Karbi Anglong along the Assam-Meghalaya border around 3 am this morning. The truck did not stop and sped away.
Police chased the truck and managed to stop it by puncturing one of its tyre. Three people were held and brought to Jirikinding.
Speaking to the media, SP West Karbi Anglong Imdad Ali said that he later asked another team of police to bring back the seized timber-laden truck from the location.
On reaching the location the police were attacked by a large crowd armed with sharp weapons and sticks. The police had to resort to firing to save their lives in which the reported deaths took place, police sources said.
A video of the firing incident is also doing the rounds on social media.
The situation is said to be tense.
SP Ali with reinforcement teams has rushed to the location.
The dead forest guard has been identified as Bidya Singh Lekhte. Another forest guard, Abhimanu has been injured in the incident.
The incident comes amid the ongoing border talks between Assam and Meghalaya to solve the decades-long border issue between the two States.
