Assam: Two killed, 11 others injured as police open fire during eviction drive

Two protesters were killed and 11 others were injured in police firing during a drive to evict alleged encroachers in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district of Assam on Thursday, a top police officer said.

Twenty-two police personnel and a government official were also injured in an attack by an irate mob which prompted the firing by the law enforcers.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, meanwhile, claimed that the eviction drive was underway peacefully but after the Congress's opposition to it, the encroachers became aggressive and attacked the government officials and policemen.

"Eviction was underway peacefully in the area and many of them had returned to their homes in Darrang and Morigaon. It was only when the Congress began opposing the drive that they attacked the police," Sarma said at the state BJP headquarters here. He said that the eviction from government land would continue. Director General of Police G P Singh, in an X post, said revenue authorities of Kamrup Metro have been carrying out eviction proceedings from the government land in the notified tribal belt of Sonapur Revenue Circle since Monday following laid down processes.