At least one person was killed and several others, including police personnel, were injured during a clash between evicted individuals and security forces in the Paikan reserve forest area of Assam’s Goalpara district on Thursday, officials confirmed. According to reports, the incident occurred when forest and police personnel visited the area to cordon off a section of land previously cleared during an eviction drive conducted on July 12. The forest department had planned to dig a channel in the area to prevent future encroachments. While the work began peacefully the previous day, tensions escalated when the team returned on Thursday morning.

Officials said that a group of former residents, allegedly among those evicted, attacked the team with sticks and pelted stones at the police and forest staff. In response, the police fired shots to control the situation, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to at least two others. Several police officers and forest guards sustained injuries during the stone-pelting. Authorities believe the attackers were people displaced during the earlier eviction.

The situation highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding land disputes and eviction efforts in the region. The forest department had initiated the action to reclaim reserve forest land from alleged encroachers and to prevent further settlement in the area. A more detailed investigation into the clash is currently underway, officials added.