AR continues crack down, 6 more rebels held for violating truce pact
IM retaliates, 'arrests' JCO with arms
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 19 2012: The stand off between the Naga rebel groups in peace talk with the Government of India and the Assam Rifles has taken a new twist with the NSCN (IM) 'arresting' a Junior Commissioned Officer of the Army along with arms and two of his colleagues.

Talking to The Sangai Express, a reliable source said that peeved with the crackdown launched by the Assam Rifles on their cadres on alleged ground of violating the ceasefire ground rules, cadres of the NSCN (IM) captured a JCO of the Indian Army along with two of his colleagues and held them captive at Camp Hebron, a few days back.

Efforts to contact the Officer-in-charge of the media cell of the Army at Rangapahar drew a blank as the officer did not respond to calls made from the office of The Sangai Express this evening to get an official version.

A SMS message sent was also not entertained.

An NSCN (IM) cadre on sentry duty at Camp Hebron

Elaborating, the source said that following the crack down launched by the security forces against the rebel cadres for violating the ceasefire ground rules, cadres of the NSCN (IM) hauled up the JCO while he was moving around with two colleagues and kept him captive at Camp Hebron along with their arms.

When matter reached the higher authority at Rangapahar, the NSCN (IM) cadres laid down the condition that in exchange for the release of the JCO, his colleagues and the arms, the Army too should hand over the arms captured from their cadres in the last few days.

This was turned down by the authority at Rangapahar, claimed the source and added that the JCO, his colleagues and the arms were subsequently handed over to the Army.

Raids continue, reports NNN from Dpr : A few days after Assam Rifles troops arrested 13 cadres of NSCN-IM cadres from the outskirt of Dimapur, six cadres of NSCN (Khole/Kitovi) faction have been arrested today.

According to the PRO of IGAR (North), troops of 29 Assam Rifles and Dimapur police busted a camp of NSCN (Khole/Kitovi) in the general area of Nuton Basti in Dimapur today.

In the joint search operation 6 cadres were apprehended along with one AK 56 assault Rifle, 74 live rounds of 7.62mm AK, two live rounds of 7.65 mm, two live rounds of .22 mm, alongwith tax collection receipts and various incriminating documents, claimed the PRO.

The Assam Rifles PRO stated that these cadres were in Dimapur town to carry out extortion and coordinate security and movement of senior officials of NSCN (Khole/Kitovi) .

The arrested cadres have been handed over to West police station, Dimapur.

It is worth noting that last week, 13 cadres of NSCN-IM were arrested and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the 'hideout in the outskirts of Dimapur.

Regarding the last week incident, troops of 20 Assam Rifles, 6 Sector AR under HQ IGAR (North), based on reliable information regarding the presence of NSCN (IM) cadres in a safe hideout in Chumukedima Ward No 1 in the outskirt of Dimapur had conducted a swift operation, which resulted in the apprehension of 13 NSCN(IM) cadres and recovered one 9mm pistol, a .22 rifle, more than 3000 rounds (ammunition) of various weapons, detonators and large amount of communication and surveillance equipments.

Reacting to all these series of raids and arrests in the houses of senior NSCN-IM officials carried out by the security forces in 'Nagalim', the Naga outfit had told the government of India that if it (New Delhi) had wanted to call off the cease-fire, it should have had politely told the NSCN-IM in an unambiguous voice instead of playing hypocrisies.

Senior kilonser (minister) of the NSCN-IM in-charge of the outfit's ministry of information and publicity A.Z Jami had said few days ago that the main purpose of the cease-fire between the Government of India and the National Socialist council of Nagalim (NSCN) has been to facilitate for a purposeful political dialogue between the two entities to bring an amicable settlement of the decades long conflict between India and the Nagas.