Silchar, April 17 -- Over 20 people, including 15 police officers and forest department officials, were injured after a protest against the detention of 25 alleged encroachers turned violent in Assam's Chirang district on Friday, police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Chirang Dhruba Bora, who was also injured in the clash, said the forest department had detained 25 locals on Thursday during an operation against alleged encroachment in the Runikhata forest range along the India-Bhutan border.

According to police officers, over 200 locals gathered outside the Runikhata forest range office next day morning and staged a protest seeking the release of those detained.

"The locals came to the range office on Friday morning dema...