TROOPS patrolled border districts of India’s north-eastern Assam state today following violence that has left more than a dozen people dead and more than 10,000 displaced.

Shops and businesses were closed in the town of Golaghat, where three people were killed after police opened fire to quell protests over attacks by tribespeople from neighbouring Nagaland state. 

Assam Home Secretary GD Tripathy said Naga tribespeople had killed nine Assamese villagers last week in a flare-up of a long-running dispute stemming from poorly defined state borders.

More than 10,000 people living on the Assam side of the border have fled their homes and are living in relief camps, he said.

Last weekend several groups in Assam blocked roads to prevent lorries carrying essential goods from entering Nagaland. 

As the blockade continued for four days, authorities in Assam ordered police and paramilitary units to disperse the protesters and clear the roads.

The action triggered widespread protests with people out in large numbers armed with sticks and stones. 

Police opened fire several times to disperse the rioters on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing three and injuring at least 14 others.

The deaths sparked public outrage, prompting authorities to call out the army and impose a curfew in Golaghat and nearby areas.

The border between Assam and Nagaland has been disputed for more than three decades and is awaiting a decision from India’s Supreme Court. 

At least 100 people have been killed in past outbreaks of violence over the issue.