Assam: 1 dead, 5 injured in clash between forest guards, alleged encroachers at wildlife sanctuary

One person was killed and five others were injured on Monday in a clash between alleged encroachers and forest guards at the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Sonitpur district of Assam, officials said.

Nagaon Wildlife Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Jayanta Deka said that alleged encroachers, who were earlier evicted from the forest, have been trying to occupy land again inside the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary over the past few days.

"Today, around 800-900 people armed with machetes, sticks and other sharp objects came to encroach the land. Our people tried to convince them not to do so, but they instead attacked the forest guards," he told PTI.

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At least three forest guards were injured in the attack by the villagers, who came from various areas of neighbouring Nagaon district on the southern bank of Brahmaputra, Deka said.

"In self-defence, the forest guards fired in the air to disperse the mob. In the melee, probably some bullets hit the crowd also. The local police have arrived and they told us that one woman has died and two more persons are injured," he added.

In one of the largest eviction drives in Assam, the administration cleared 2,099 hectare of land in Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby revenue villages in February, which affected around 12,800 people.