KOHIMA/GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI, Dec 5:
Security forces opened fire on civilians killing 13 and injuring 11 more in Nagaland’s Mon district in two consecutive incidents of firing the first of which was possibly a case of mistaken identity, police said today. One soldier also died in rioting which followed.
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 proscribed 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 burnt down. Soldiers who fired in self-defence killed another seven civilians, said police officials. Click here to watch video
Rioting spilled over into Sunday afternoon when angry mobs vandalised the offices of the Konyak Union and an Assam Rifles camp in the area. The Nagaland Government through a notification has banned mobile, internet and data services as well as bulk SMS in the district to curb “circulation of inflammatory video’s, pictures or text”.
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.
Ordering a Court of Inquiry into the incident, Army said one of its personnel was killed and several others were seriously injured. It said that the incident and its aftermath is “deeply regretted” and the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level.(PTI)
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