Two NSCN-IM cadre shot dead in Arunachal gun battle

Students' union calls bandh over killing of civilian

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Security forces gunned down two NSCN-IM militants in the Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, while another cadre was injured in the fierce gun battle, a senior police official said here on Monday.

One cadre was also arrested by security forces, he said.

The incident took place on Sunday at Old Kolagaon, near Khonsa, the district headquarters, Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa informed. The encounter also led to the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition as well as the arrest of another insurgent.

The arms recovered included one AK 56 rifle with a magazine, one 5.56 mm M4 A 1 carbine, made in the US, one 32mm pistol, a huge cache of ammunition, and other warlike stores from the encounter site.

The IGP informed that the district police and Assam Rifles on Saturday jointly launched an operation based on intelligence inputs about the presence of the cadres of the outfit in the area, which continued till Sunday.

The insurgent injured in the confrontation was referred to a hospital in the nearby town of Dibrugarh in Assam.

The NSCN-IM insurgents have been carrying out extortion drives and new recruitment in Tirap district since January this year, the police official said.

A CORRESPONDENT ADDS: The All Tirap District Students Union (ATDSU) on Monday organized a rally protesting against 6th Assam Rifle for allegedly killing a civilian in crossfire during an encounter with NSCN-IM cadre near Kalagaon village. The union also called a 12-hours bandh in the district on Monday while demanding justice for the deceased, Retto Kakho (47).

ATDSU president Hangba Tonrang said that such incidents are not new to the people of Tirap, Longding and Changlang, but the security personnel should be careful during such instances so that there are no civilian casualties.

He said the peacekeepers and the insurgents should stop using human shields. The innocent life should not be the outcome of any gun conflict between the Army and the insurgents.

He also said the family as well as the deceased should be served justice.

According to sources, Kakho was hit in his abdomen and chest and subsequently succumbed to his injuries during the crossfire on Sunday. Another civilian Takngam Lowang was also injured in the crossfire.

After the completion of post-mortem, the bodies of the deceased were handed over to the relatives today.

The gun battle took place at around 11 am near Kolagaon village, 30 km from the district headquarters of Khonsa on Sunday.

The incident happened when three NSCN (IM) cadres, who sneaked into Deomali from Mon district of Nagaland, were being escorted by the villagers to the neighboring Changlang district.

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