Heavy exchange of fire broke out on Sunday when suspected extremists from Nagaland allegedly opened fire on the security personnel and workers engaged in an anti-encroachment operation in Doldoli Reserve Forest in Assam, leaving three persons injured.
“Firing by suspected extremists from Nagaland side is still continuing and three persons have been injured,” Additional Superintendent of Police (Border) Nanda Singh told PTI in the evening.
The injured — an Assam policeman, a forest guard and a labourer — were 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 the 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 attackers were positioned inside the bunkers set up along the Assam-Nagaland border, Mr. 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, the ASP said.
In all 69 illegally constructed houses under Lahorijan border outpost, 300 under Dikoi (BOP) and 70 under Sankertilla (BOP) were demolished on Saturday.
