Tension erupts along Assam-Nagaland border after house torched in Uriamghat, shots fired by miscreants

Tensions flared along the Assam–Nagaland border on Monday night after unidentified miscreants set fire to a house in Thuribari village, Uriamghat, and allegedly opened fire, leaving residents in fear and uncertainty.

According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred at around 8:30 PM when two assailants arrived on a motorcycle and set ablaze the residence of Salam Ali. The blaze rapidly consumed the structure, which was completely destroyed within minutes. Although no casualties were reported—since the occupants had vacated the house following an earlier eviction notice—the incident triggered panic in surrounding villages.

Local residents, led by the head of No. 2 Shantipur village, acted swiftly to douse the flames before they could spread. The prompt arrival of Sarupathar SDO (Civil) Priyam Phukan, CRPF personnel, and Uriamghat police helped contain the situation.

Shortly after the fire, locals alleged hearing more than five rounds of gunfire in the area, further heightening the sense of insecurity. Several residents suspect the involvement of Naga miscreants, while others believe that a “third party” may be deliberately instigating unrest to spark border disputes and communal tensions between Assam and Nagaland.

The incident comes in the wake of the Assam government’s eviction drives in the Rengma Reserved Forest, aimed at reclaiming encroached land and launching large-scale ecological restoration. In recent weeks, approximately 4,000 illegal houses across 10,000 bighas of forest land were cleared, followed by a state-backed tree plantation program in reclaimed areas such as Sonaribil.

Given that some Naga groups have long claimed Thuribari as their own, and considering the eviction’s relatively peaceful execution, local observers suspect that the arson and firing could be a calculated attempt to disrupt the current stability.

Uriamghat police have launched a probe to identify and arrest the culprits. Various local organizations have staged protests and demanded heightened security measures in the border region.

Sarupathar MLA Biswajit Phukan, in a social media post, claimed that two “Miya youths” were behind the attack. “Their motive was to create conflict between the Naga people and Assam,” Phukan alleged, strongly condemning the incident.