Soldiers gun down 13 Naga locals in a case of ‘mistaken identity’

Kohima/Guwahati, Dec 05 (PTI): At least 14 people, including a soldier, died in a firing incident in Nagaland’s Mon district. Calling the loss of lives unfortunate, the Army said the incident is being probed at the highest level and action would be taken as per law. Following the incident, the famous Hornbill festival in Kohima has been shut down. Mobile internet and bulk messaging services have also been suspended due to the incident.
Local sources said the incident happened at around 4 pm on Saturday and when the victims didn’t return home even several hours after the usual time, the volunteers of the village went out to search for them. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has rushed back to Kohima from Delhi to hold an emergency meeting on the incident.
According to an official, a group of daily-wage labourers from Oting village were returning home from a coal mine in a pick-up van when they were allegedly shot at by security forces. Local sources said the volunteers from the village had gone searching for them as they had not returned for several hours and found their bodies in the van. Angry villagers then surrounded the security forces in protest, and set their vehicles on fire. Following which, security forces retaliated, resulting in more casualties.

SIT CONSTITUTED
Nagaland Governor Jagdish Mukhi issued an official statement saying that a special investigation team to probe the firing incident had been constituted.”SIT shall investigate the incident from all angles,” the official statement said. A court of inquiry has also been instituted against the army personnel involved, the governor said. He appealed to all citizens to maintain peace.

NAGALAND CM ANNOUNCES PROBE
Reacting to the incident, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said it was “highly condemnable” and a “high-level” special investigation team would probe the case to ensure “justice is delivered”. He appealed for peace from all sections of society. The CM, who was in Delhi for a meeting with defence minister Rajnath Singh, has rushed back to Kohima to hold an emergency meeting on the incident.

BASED ON CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE: SECURITY FORCES
In an official statement, Assam Rifles said a specific operation had been planned in the area “based on credible intelligence of likely movement of insurgents”. “The incident and its aftermath is deeply regretted. The cause of the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate action will be taken as per the course of law,” the statement added. As per the Assam Rifles’ statement, one soldier died and some others suffered severe injuries in the incident. A police official said that the operation was conducted based on inputs on the movement of militants of the Yung Aung faction of proscribed outfit NSCN (K), which is based in Myanmar. Mon shares a porous international border with Myanmar, the police officer added.

RAHUL GANDHI SLAMS CENTRE
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked the Centre over the killing of civilians during an anti-insurgency operation in Mon district of Nagaland, saying the government must give a “real reply” as to what is the home ministry doing when “neither civilians nor security personnel are safe in our own land”. Reacting to the incident, Gandhi tweeted, “This is heart wrenching. GOI must give a real reply. What exactly is the home ministry doing when neither civilians nor security personnel are safe in our own land?”