Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday expressed concern over the potential spill-over effects of the ongoing violence in neighbouring Manipur, particularly in the state’s Barak Valley region, which shares a border with Manipur’s Jiribam district.

Speaking at an event in Cachar district, the Assam Chief Minister said, “I think the situation in Manipur will definitely have some impact on Assam. That is why we have deployed additional police forces in Barak Valley to see that nothing spills over to Assam.”

Barak Valley, located in southern Assam, borders Jiribam, an ethnically diverse region that saw fresh unrest earlier this year. Although initially spared from the ethnic clashes that engulfed Imphal Valley and its adjoining hills, violence erupted in Jiribam in June after the mutilated body of a farmer was discovered in a field.

Manipur has been reeling under ethnic violence since May 2023, with over 250 people killed and thousands displaced in clashes between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and Kuki-Zo groups from the surrounding hills. The conflict intensified on November 11, when a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants left 10 insurgents dead. Following this, six members of the Meitei community, including three women and three children, reportedly abduction by armed militants in Jiribam. Their bodies were later found dead, exacerbating tensions.

The Assam government has ramped up security in the sensitive Barak Valley area to prevent any potential escalation or spill-over from Manipur. Authorities remain vigilant to ensure peace and stability in the border region.