More central troops for Nagaland likely
Source: The Sangai Express / TNN
New Delhi, January 07 2014:
Wary that the ethnic clashes between Karbi tribals from Assam's Karbi Anglong dis-trict and Nagas along the Assam-Nagaland border could escalate in the wake of exe-cution of nine Karbis last week, the Centre plans to rush addi-tional para-military troops to the trouble-torn area.
Around 1,500 Central force personnel are already deployed along Karbi-Ang-long areas adjoining Naga- land.
However, fearing a backlash from the Karbis, the Union home ministry will move to step up paramilitary presence there.
Preliminary investigations point to the role of a major Naga insurgent outfit behind the brutal killings of nine Karbis, suspected to have been abducted from different places before being blindfolded, lined up and shot at from close range at Dimapur.
Though Assam government has sought a CBI probe into the killings, sources in the Central government said a CBI probe could be considered only if the request came from the Nagaland government, as the killings had taken place in Nagaland.
Incidentally, Nagaland go-vernment has already consti- tuted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the killings.
Sources at the Centre said tension in Karbi-Anglong areas bordering Nagaland had led around 2,000 locals to move out of their villages and take shelter in 11 relief camps.
The killing of the nine Karbis, whose bodies were recovered in a decomposed state from Dimapur, had followed the murder of four Rengma Nagas, including three women, allegedly by Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers militants.
The KPLT attack had come in retaliation of the killing of its two cadres, allegedly by Naga Reng- ma Hills Protection Force and torching of several houses on December 27, the sources said.