14 Nagaland civilians killed in botched Army op, aftermath

Soldier Dies In Retaliation By Angry Villagers

- Prabin Kalita

In a botched operation, Ar-my para commandos lying in wait for militants in Nagaland’s Mon district late on Saturday shot and killed six villagers instead, all of them coal mine workers returning home in a van singing songs. Soon after, a village search party attacked the soldiers, leading to firing in which seven more civilians died. A soldier was also killed.

On Sunday, another civilian was killed in Mon, dominated by the Konyak tribe, when security forces repelled a mob attack on an Assam Rifles camp. It was one among several incidents of arson and rioting in the district since the previous night. At least 20 people were injured in the ambush and violence that followed.

The Army regretted the civilian deaths. Officials said that the operation followed specific inputs about movement of militants from the Yung Aung faction of the proscribed NSCN (K).

Army ‘deeply regrets’ deaths, initiates inquiry