NSCN(K) brains arrested for deadly ambush on Armymen

In a major breakthrough in the probe into the killing of 18 Army personnel in an ambush, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested top conspirator of banned NSCN(K) Khumlo Abi Anal from Chandel district of Manipur. The NIA produced Anal before a designated court that remanded him in NIA custody till July 7. 

Anal, alias Ambison, is a senior functionary of NSCN(K) and the regional chairman of the outfit. This is the first arrest in the case relating to investigation into the killing of 18 Army personnel at Chandel on June 4, the agency claimed. During the interrogation, Anal broke down and is said to have admitted to being part of the conspiracy, agency sources said.

Anal was earlier arrested by the Manipur Police on June 11 during a combing operation after the ambush by the insurgents. He was in the police custody since then, sources in Guwahati said. NIA DG Sharad Kumar, however, refused to clarify on the confusion over Anal’s arrest. The NIA claimed his arrest to be the first in the case. 

NIA sources said Anal was in touch with top leadership of NSCN(K), including outfit’s self-styled chairman Khaplang Pangmi of Myanmar and general secretary Kughalu Molatonu. “Investigation has revealed that the accused was extensively involved in the conspiracy to attack the Army personnel, and had met the offenders immediately before the attack. He was also in touch with the offenders before and after the attack,” the NIA said in a statement here. 

This is the first breakthrough by NIA which was handed over the probe in the case within two days of the attack. The agency had deputed a team of experts, led by a Deputy Inspector General, to the spot to conduct the probe.

The sources said that the probe so far has revealed that 23 NSCN(K) members participated in the attack, including the two killed during the ambush. Out of the remaining 21, NIA has been able to identify 14 cadre of the outfit who had executed the ambush. The cadre of the insurgent group had split into three groups to target the Army personnel. 

During the investigations, NIA examined several surrendered NCSN(K) militants who helped the agency in identifying many of the accused in the case.

Soon after the June 4 deadly ambush on its personnel by the NSCN(K) and other insurgent groups, the Indian Army had in a retaliatory attack carried out surgical strikes on two NSCN(K) camps located along the Indian-Myanmar border, inflicting serious damage on insurgents.After the retaliatory attack, the Army had said that the insurgents were trying to sneak in from across the border to carry out more strikes and then return there.

NSCN (K), which reneged on a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in March, has been involved in a series of attacks in tandem with some other militant groups under the banner of “United liberation Front of South East Asia”. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday and is believed to have discussed with him the security situation in the North-east. Parrikar and Singh met for nearly 20 minutes and discussed various issues, including security situation in the country, official sources said.

Parrikar, however, told reporters that he, being a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, discussed about developmental issues with Singh, a former Chief Minister of the State.