The Naga Army, the military wing of NSCN(IM), on Wednesday claimed that three of its members were killed by security forces in Assam’s Dima Hasao in a “premeditated attack” on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Naga Army said the incident has “once again pushed the hard-earned Naga peace process to the brink of collapse”.
The Assam police on Tuesday said bodies of three gunmen, suspected to belong to “some faction of the NSCN”, had been recovered after an exchange of gunfire in the N Kubin-Hera Kilo area of Dima Hasao district.
According to the police, the office of National Highways Authority of India in Dima Hasao received an extortion letter and security forces received information that armed cadres, who had allegedly issued the letter, were hiding in the area.
Security personnel from Assam Police Special Units and Assam Rifles conducted a search operation based on the tip-off.
They came across the armed group, which fired on them, prompting retaliatory firing, said the police.
In its statement, the Naga Army said one of its cluster camps in Dima Hasao battalion “was attacked by the combined forces of Indian security force and Assam police”.
The group called the incident a “betrayal” of the ceasefire between the Government of India and the NSCN(IM) declared in 1997.
The question on whether the ceasefire extends outside Nagaland is one of contention between the group, the government and other states such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur where there are regions with Naga population.
“These unprovoked attacks constitute a reprehensible violation and unilateral abrogation of the ceasefire agreement, a betrayal of diplomatic efforts and deliberate undermining of the ongoing peace initiatives. It is high time the Government of India spell out loud and clear whether there is ceasefire in Naga areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” it said.
