Source: The Imphal Free Press
Guwahati, October 25 (IANS):
The fragile peace in the insurgency-ridden northeastern state of Nagaland has suffered a setback with rival separatist groups engaging in a bitter fratricidal gang war.
Tribal guerrillas of the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) led by SS Khaplang on Wednesday attacked an office of the rival faction at Dimapur.
"A six-member squad belonging to our group attacked the ceasefire monitoring cell office of the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN using hand grenades and assault rifles, killing three of their cadres," said K Mulatonu, the self-styled deputy minister of information and publicity of NSCN (Khaplang).
He claimed the attack was carried out as the ceasefire monitoring cell of its rival faction had become a "haven for kidnappings, extortion, besides other criminal activities.
"We entered Dimapur to attack the office in a bid to give the people in the area some peace as the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) have been terrorizing the locals," Mulatonu told IANS by telephone from the group's hideout somewhere in Nagaland.
"One of our cadres received injuries when security forces fired at our group in the vicinity where the attack was carried out," he added.
Police, however, said there were no deaths in the attack.
"An NSCN (Isak-Muivah) cadre was injured in the attack that took place early Wednesday morning," S Zeliang, police superintendent of Dimapur, said over the telephone.
Community leaders in Nagaland say the continuing clashes between the two groups do not augur well for the peace process.