In yet another attack, suspected militants belonging to the NSCN faction led by its chairman SS Khaplang (NSCN-K) on Sunday killed eight jawans of the Assam Rifles and injured four others. The attack came barely a week after the NSCN (K) faction ambushed a convoy of the security forces near Nagaland capital Kohima and killed one jawan.
Assam Rifles sources said the incident took place at a remote location in Mon district of Nagaland. The militants ambushed a convoy of the forces, which was on its way back to the camp after fetching water from a nearby area at Changlang Su. “There were two vehicles in the convoy—one water tanker and a 407 vehicle carrying about 23 personnel. First, there was an explosion in the 407 vehicle and then the militants started indiscriminate firing,” sources said.
“We suspect NSCN (K) militants behind the incident. An operation has been launched against the militants in and around the area,” the Rifles sources said. It may be mentioned here that Mon and Changlang districts were the strongholds of the NSCN (K) militants. Khaplang had last month unilaterally withdrawn from the ceasefire agreement with the Government of India and started launching attacks against the security forces in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. On April 2 this year suspected NSCN (K) militants ambushed an Army convoy at Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh killing three jawans and injuring three others.