GUWAHATI: At least 18 Assamese villagers were injured, four of them critically, after unidentified men from the Arunachal Pradesh side opened fire during a confrontation along the disputed Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, triggering fresh tension between the two neighbouring states.

The incident, which reportedly stemmed from a dispute over alleged encroachment in the border area, took place at Mingmang Basti, where a confrontation escalated into firing. The injured were taken to hospitals for treatment, with four in critical condition being shifted to Dibrugarh Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the chief secretaries of the two states were in discussions and that the directors general of police were also coordinating to bring down tensions.

âAssam Police reinforcement has reached the location. We need to de-escalate the situation. At the same time, I have directed the Assam Police that under no circumstances should Assam lose even an inch of its land,â Sarma said.

The latest confrontation comes against the backdrop of decades of boundary disagreements between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The two states have been holding talks to resolve the dispute through dialogue and demarcation, but several pockets along the border remain sensitive.