Assam orders shoot-at-sight in Dhubri amid tension

Authorities in India's northeastern state of Assam imposed a shoot-at-sight order in Dhubri town last night following communal unrest, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said.

Sarma, in a post on X this morning, said 38 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Dhubri, a district that shares a border with Bangladesh.

He said tensions flared on June 7 when a portion of an animal's body was found outside a temple during Eid-ul-Azha.

"A similar incident occurred the next day, triggering clashes in the area," Sarma said after visiting the affected neighbourhoods.

The district administration imposed Section 144 on June 9 to curb the violence. The restrictions were lifted a day later after the situation appeared to stabilise.

However, Sarma said a shoot-at-sight order was issued at night "as an outfit was trying to create disturbances in the district bordering Bangladesh".

He identified the outfit as "Nabin Bangla", saying it had pasted posters in parts of the district calling for Dhubri's merger with Bangladesh.

The state government has also transferred the district's Senior Superintendent of Police Navin Singh, according to a notification.