Guwahati: Several night buses travelling from Guwahati to Mankachar were allegedly attacked with stones by a group of miscreants at Tikrikilla in Meghalaya early Monday, causing damage to multiple vehicles and injuring some drivers.
The incident reportedly occurred around 2 am when the buses were passing through the area. A group of around 10 to 12 people allegedly pelted the vehicles with stones, damaging their front windshields.
According to reports, some drivers sustained injuries during the attack but continued driving until they reached Tikrikilla Police Station. They subsequently informed the police about the incident.
Police later visited the area where the stone-pelting reportedly took place. However, the alleged attackers had already fled by the time officers arrived.
Passengers travelling on the buses reportedly suspected that the attack could have been an attempt to rob them. However, police have not established the motive behind the incident so far.
Tikrikilla Police have launched an investigation into the attack. The affected buses were reportedly permitted to continue their journey towards Mankachar around two hours later, following preliminary inquiries by the police.
The incident comes about a month after violence erupted in Shillong during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) black-flag motorcycle rally on August 19. During the clashes, 31 vehicles, including vehicles registered in Assam, were reportedly damaged, while several people were assaulted.
The Shillong violence subsequently led to tensions between transport operators in Assam and Meghalaya. Assam-based transporters stopped Meghalaya-registered vehicles at Jorabat, while taxi operators in Meghalaya restricted the movement of Assam vehicles at locations including Umiam and Byrnihat.
The disruptions affected inter-state movement between Assam and Meghalaya before the situation was brought under control following talks and intervention by the governments of both states.