On Sunday, the dispute between Assam and Mizoram over a 164.4 km long bridge flared up. Assam accused Mizoram of constructing a bridge in its territory, while Mizoram accused Assam police of allegedly stealing construction materials from the site. Assam alleged Mizoram officials that they entered the Hailakandi district and began the bridge construction at Kachurthal near Ramanthapur police station on Friday after the government announced a peaceful negotiation. Mizoram officials told the media that the bridge was being constructed within its territory in Zophai near Bairabi town. They accused Assam police of stealing the construction materials. On Sunday, the theft case against the Assam police was taken back by the Mizoram officials after they returned the materials, Mizoram officials told the media. However, the Assam police denied the stealing. On 26 July 2021, police forces of both states clashed, and six policemen from Assam were killed in firing and 40 injured. Recently, on Saturday, a flashpoint emerged when the deputy commissioner of Kolasib, H Lalthlangliana, in a letter to his counterpart, Rohan Kumar Jha, alleged that Assam officials entered the territory of Mizoram in Zophai on Friday where the bridge was being constructed to connect the main road to a patty field of the Chief Minister C Chhunga. However, the Assam police denied the allegations and told the media that the bridge construction was undertaken in the territory of Assam without the necessary authorisation. Hailakandi SP, Gaurav Upadhyay, alleged that nearly 40 to 50 officials from Mizoram came to the bridge on Saturday and crossed over in Assam's territory. He also said that theft allegations against Assam police are baseless, malafide, and devoid of facts. It is a way for Mizoram officials to divert attention from the illegal construction of the bridge on Assam's territory. After the incident, both states have increased police deployment near the border to prevent any unforeseen incidents. The tensions reduced in the first week of August after the intervention from the central government. Both states held a peace agreement to withdraw forces from the border, allow central inspection, and begin talks. Image Source