Heavy exchange of fire in Mankachar

GUWAHATI, April 18: Tension prevails in the Mankachar sub-division of Dhubri district following heavy exchange of fire between Bangladesh Rifles and Border Security Force personnel for more than eleven hours, in which at least 10 civilians were injured. Official sources said that the Bangladesh Rifles personnel started unprovoked firing at the Kakripara border outpost in Mankachar sub-division at around 4 am this morning, following which, the BSF personal also returned the fire. Sources said that according to information available here, the Bangladesh Rifles personnel even used mortars and one mortar shell landed in a village market. The firing lasted till about 3.30 pm. Sources said that at least two BSF jawans and 10 civilians were injured in the firing. Two of the injured civilians have been shifted to Tura in Meghalaya for treatment, while, the other injured persons were treated in Mankachar itself. Sources said that most of the civilians injured in the firing were the farmers who go to cultivate their land located in the no man's land every morning. The heavy firing caused panic in the area but till now no decision has been taken to evacuate the border villages as the situation was brought under control by this evening. Senior Dhubri district police officials have rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Heavy reinforcement of BSF men have also been rushed to the area. It may be mentioned here that sporadic incidents of border firing is nothing new in the Assam-Bangladesh border areas but this was for the first time heavy firing of such magnitudes took place. Border fencing has also been erected in the area but that did not help in preventing influx of foreigners and smugglers and today's incident proved that the border villages in Assam are not safe.