Police vehicles torched, petrol bombs hurled in fresh violence in Shillong

As mob anger over shooting of tribal villagers from the state by Assam police spilled over on to the streets of Shillong, a police bus and a jeep were torched as stones and petrol bombs flew thick and fast.

Seven people, including four police personnel, were injured in the clash that broke out between the angry protesters and the police, Superintendent of Police (City) Vivek Syiem told PTI.

Protestors were demonstrating against the shooting of five tribal villagers by Assam police in the early hours of Tuesday at Mukroh, on the disputed Assam-Meghalaya border.

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Violence had broken out at the border between the two states in the early hours of Tuesday after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam. Six people, including five tribal villagers from Meghalaya a forest guard from Assam, were killed.

On Thursday, Shillong’s street protests took on a violent turn as petrol bombs were hurled at a police bus and jeep, setting them on fire, while a traffic police kiosk was brought down. Stones and petrol bombs were hurled at police at Barik point, barely metres from the place where a candlelight vigil and sit-in protest was held by different organisations, including the Khasi Students Union, and the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People, officials said.

Different organisations in Meghalaya have announced a "non-cooperation movement" on Friday across the five hill districts.

Mobile internet services were suspended in these districts till Saturday morning to prevent the spread of fake news that could foment trouble, Home Secretary CVD Diengdoh said.

The Meghalaya government was arranging police protection for trucks transporting essential commodities and oil tankers that were coming from Assam, officials said on Thursday night.