The Assam Police on Sunday lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya five days after curbs were imposed following violence along the boundary between the two states, ANI reported.

“We have allowed all vehicles to enter into Meghalaya,” Guwahati Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhakar Singh said.

An unidentified police official told PTI that wherever necessary, vehicles were being escorted. “In other vulnerable areas, police patrolling has been provided,” he said.

On Tuesday, five residents of Meghalaya and an official of the Assam Forest Guard were killed as the Assam Police opened fire after an altercation. The two states give conflicting versions of the incident, including where it took place.

According to Assam, it happened in West Karbi Anglong district’s “Mukhrow” village. Meghalaya claims the same place as “Mukroh” village, part of its West Jaintia Hills district.

After the deaths, the Assam Police had on Tuesday issued an advisory asking residents of the state to avoid travelling to Meghalaya on account of incidents of violence in the state.

Territorial disputes between the two states had begun when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam on January 21, 1972, under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971. Disputes arose after Meghalaya had challenged the law.

Protestors burn effigies of Amit Shah, Conrad Sangma

Meanwhile, members of several social organisations in Shillong on Saturday burnt effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, state Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and others to protest against the deaths, PTI reported.

The groups initially planned to burn the effigies at the entrance of the chief minister’s bungalow in Shillong, but were shifted to a nearby area by the police.

The protest was organised by the Save Hynniewtrep Mission, which comprises Hynniewtrep Youth Council, East Jaintia National Council, Jaintia Students Movement, Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement and Confederation of Ri Bhoi People, according to India Today.

On Saturday, Hynniewtrep Youth Council General Secretary Roy Kupar Synrem said that the firing incident was a result of the apathy of the Central, Assam and Meghalaya governments to resolve the inter-state border dispute.

“Mukroh firing incident happened due to the lack of seriousness on the part of the three governments to resolve the border dispute,” Synrem said, according to NorthEast Now.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders remained in force at Mukroh village along the Assam-Meghalaya border.