At least 14 civilians and one member of the security forces were killed in Nagaland state on Saturday night, after Indian forces mistook a group of labourers for militants and opened fire. More than a dozen civilians and some members of the security forces were also wounded in the incident and violence .
Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha in an attempt to control law and order stated that mobile internet, data services, bulk SMS of all providers in the entire area of Mon district will be prohibited with immediate effect until further notice.
“Mobile internet/data services/ bulk SMS of all providers in the entire area of Mon district prohibited with immediate effect until further notice,” Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha said in an order.
Villagers angrily set fire to several vehicles of security forces after seeing the bodies of people after the incident. Several people including security forces were also injured in the fire. The chief minister had tweeted expressing grief over the incident. “The incident of killing of civilians in Oting village of Mon is unfortunate and I strongly condemn it,” he said. Expressing deep sympathy to the families of the victims, he said that I wish that the injured people get well soon. He said the high level SIT will look into the matter and justice will be done according to the law. I appeal to all sections for peace.
The Indian Army said in its statement that angry villagers attacked security forces over the death of people, in which one soldier has died while many soldiers have been injured. Police said they are investigating the incident to find out if it is a case of mistaken identity.
The police officials said that the incident took place between Oting and Tiru villages when some daily wage labourers were returning home from a coal mine through a pickup van on Saturday evening. He told that army personnel operating in the area allegedly opened fire on the vehicle after the militants of the Yung Ong faction of the banned outfit NSCN (K) were reported to have been involved.
As workers failed to reach their homes, local youth and villagers went in search of them and surrounded the army vehicles. In the ensuing melee one soldier was killed and army vehicles burnt down. Soldiers who fired in self-defence killed another seven civilians, said police officials. Angry mobs have since then on Sunday afternoon vandalised the offices of the Konyak Union and an Assam Rifles camp.
Home Minister Amit Shah has also condoled the incident. He tweeted, “Saddened by the unfortunate incident at Oting of mon in Nagaland. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. A high level SIT team constituted by the state government will investigate the incident. So that justice can be done to the unhappy families.”
Meanwhile the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio promised a high-level probe into the incident and appealed to all sections of the society to maintain peace.
Police said that the post-mortem of the 13 killed is being conducted in Mon and feared that the number of fatalities may increase as at least two of those injured were critical and had to be evacuated to hospitals in Assam while the rest were being treated in Nagaland.
The state government has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IGP Nagaland, officials said. PRO Defence (Kohima) Lt Col Sumit K Sharma said “based on credible intelligence of likely movement of insurgents, a specific operation was planned to be conducted in the area of Tiru, Mon District, Nagaland. The incident and its aftermath is deeply regretted.”
An investigation is underway to ascertain whether the incident was a case of mistaken identity, the officer said. Mon shares a porous international border with Myanmar, where the Yung Aung faction of NSCN (K) is based.
Reacting to the incident, Rahul Gandhi tweeted that “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?”
In protest against the incident, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisaiton (ENPO) urged the six tribes of the region to withdraw participation from the ongoing Hornbill Festival, which is the state’s biggest tourism extravaganza.
