Breaking: Naga villagers open fire on Assam MLA in contested border area

JORHAT: Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi as well his small entourage comprising forest personnel, security guards, and some local villagers were reportedly fired upon by alert Naga people in the contested area.

Kurmi later said that they were shot at by random villagers and had to run for their lives.

"Even the villagers in the area have been handed guns and we were fired upon with all kinds of guns as soon as they saw us approaching", the MLA said. He even admitted to seeing a 'rocket launcher' in the possession of the villagers.

"I chose to take stock of the situation myself as the sitting MLA as there was talk of Nagas' incursions into Assamese territory in the recently concluded Assembly session. It appears that that Nagas have encroached upon 2-3 kilometres of Assamese land", Kurmi added, before exhorting chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to resolve the situation.

Tensions resurfaced in the area after the erection of a camp reportedly by Nagaland armed police inside Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest.

The forest falls under the Mariani Forest Range of Jorhat district.

High-level talks between officials of Jorhat district and their counterpart in Mokokchung district in Nagaland have seemingly proved futile.