Amid violence in Manipur Internet services shut down for five days
Shillong: The Meghalaya government has suspended mobile internet services in seven districts of the state after three people were killed in firing by the Assam Police in West Karbi Anglang district on Tuesday morning.
The government has decided to suspend two mobile internet services for the next 48 hours in West Jaintia Hills, East Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, Rebhoi, Eastern West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills districts.
Tension gripped the state after three people were killed by the Assam Police in Mukrang under Gerikanding police station in West Karbi Anglong along the Assam-Meghalaya border on Tuesday morning.
Clashes between the Assam Police and a group of people from Meghalaya erupted after forest officials from Karbi-Aglang district intercepted a truck transporting illegal timber on Tuesday morning, police sources said.
The truck was intercepted by a team of the Assam Forest Department on the Meghalaya border around 3 am, said SP Imdad Ali of West Corby Anglong.
As the truck tried to flee, the forest guards fired at it and punctured a tire. The driver, a handyman and another person were arrested, while others managed to escape, he said.
He added that the forest guards informed the Zirkanding police station and called for reinforcements.
As the police reached the spot, a strong mob armed with sharp weapons from Meghalaya gathered at the spot around 5 am, the officer said.
He said that when the mob surrounded the forest guards and the police, demanding the immediate release of the arrested persons, the officers fired at them to bring the situation under control.
“A forest home guard and three people from the Khasi community were killed. The situation is under control,” the SP told a news agency.
