Army gets it wrong! 14 die

Huge uproar across nation after forces in Nagaland open fire on  coal mine workers mistaking them for insurgents of banned outfit

Kohima/New Delhi: A day after six civilians were killed by the security forces in what they said was a case of “mistaken identity”, the situation continued to be tense in Nagaland’s Mon district on Sunday. In the operation and the clashes that ensued with the security forces later, seven more civilians and a soldier were killed on Saturday.

On Sunday, authorities said that a large crowd of angry villagers gathered in Mon town and marched to the Assam Rifles camp, engaging in vandalism.

The security forces opened fire, leading to the death of one more civilian. The first firing which killed six civilians occurred when Army personnel mistook coal mine workers returning home in a pick-up van singing songs on Saturday evening, to be insurgents belonging to the Yung Aung faction of the banned outfit NSCN (K), about whose movements they had been tipped off. 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 were burnt down. Soldiers who fired in self-defence killed another seven civilians, police officials said.

Rioting spilled over into Sunday afternoon when angry mobs vandalised the offices of the Konyak Union and an Assam Rifles camp in the area, setting fire to parts of the camp. At least one more person was killed and another two injured, as security forces fired back at attackers.

Ordering a Court of Inquiry into the incident, the Army said one of its personnel was killed and several others were seriously injured. It said the incident and its aftermath are “deeply regretted” and the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who rushed back from Delhi on Sunday will visit the affected district on Monday. The Nagaland government on Sunday formed a Special Investigation Team to probe into the incident.  -(Agencies)