5 killed, many injured in Tamenglong gun-battle
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Daniel Kamei / NNN
Tamenglong, October 30 2012:
At least five persons have been killed and scores injured in a heavy gun battle involving NSCN-IM, Assam Rifles, NSCN-K, ZUF and NNC in Tamenglong district headquarters today.
The casualties included three NSCN-IM cadres and two ZUF cadres.
However, the exactly number of casualties is yet to be confirmed officially.
The latest factional gun battle broke out along the foothills of Gadai Range in Tamenglong Ward No.IV.
According to reports, late this morning a gun fight broke out in Tamenglong district headquarters between the NSCN-IM on one side and the combined team of Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), NSCN-K and NNC on the other that claimed four lives from both sides.
The incident precisely happened at Ward No.IV near Bethel Baptist Church at around 11 am.
However, a version from the ZUF and that of the NSCN-IM are not the same.
According to the NSCN-IM, there was a shootout between the outfit and the combined team of ZUF, NSCN-K and NNC.
While the gun battle was on, there was a re-enforcement from the NSCN-IM side but while the cadres were on their way to the shoot-out site, the 13th Assam Rifles personnel who were nearby, ambushed the NSCN-IM cadres and killed a cadre identified as Benjamin Panmei (28), s/o David of Chraram (Saramba) village under Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district.
Slain Benjamin was said to be a sergeant in the outfit.
The Assam Rifles source, however, said they had an encounter with unidentified militants and killed a cadre.
Talking to mediapersons, Commander V Vidya Sankar claimed, "Three cadres were running toward us where our men are positioning and they fired upon us.
We retaliated the firing and killed one of the cadres.
We did not know to whose group slain cadre belonged" .
The security force have reportedly recovered 88 live rounds of AK 47, two spent bullets, one Kenwood walkie-talkie, one mobile phone charger, one pouch, one hand grenade and one loaded magazine of AK 47 rifles from the battle site.
Accidentally, one VDF personnel indentified as Gangonglung was reportedly hit by a bullet on his leg when the security commander misfired his gun while they were trying to load the dead body of Benjamin on to the police van
On the other hand, ZUF spokesman A Dangmei alleged that NSCN-IM cadres came and attacked the ZUF 'boys' this morning.
Two ZUF cadres were killed in the shootout.
The deceased have been identified as Rathailung (28) of Awangkhul village, Nungba subdivision and one Lalhung Impui (25) of Puichi village near Haochong, Tamenglong district, according to the ZUF spokesman.
A Dangmei then claimed that two cadres of the rival NSCN-IM were also killed but one of the deceased, a Tangkhul is yet to be identified.
He further claimed that scores of NSCN-IM cadres are critically injured in today's incident.
However, sources from NSCN-IM asserted that four ZUF cadres were killed and recovered one AK rifles from the combined force of NSCN-K and ZUF cadres.
Furthermore, sources maintained that there was no casualty on the side of NSCN-IM except for minor injuries on the hand of a cadre during the gun-battle.
Sources in NSCN-K also clarified that there is no casualty on its side.
Meanwhile, an emergency public meeting was held at Haipou Jadonnang Park in the district headquarters and took a resolution to hold a protest rally on Wednesday from the Park till the gate of 13th Assam Rifles.
The meeting demanded to know why the NSCN-IM cadre was killed by the Assam Rifles when the cease fire is in force.
The dead body of the NSCN-IM cadre is still lying at the morgue of the district hospital till the time of filing this report.
In the meantime, the residents of Ward No 4 have fled their homesteads in fear and they are now taking shelter elsewhere in the town.
Following today's incident, the NSCN-IM has questioned the motive of 13th Assam Rifles in attacking the outfit while maintaining nexus with ZUF, NSCN-K, NNC and others.
The NSCN-IM leaders also said they would not accept the dead body of the slain cadre unless things get cleared at the level of Cease Fire Monitoring Cell.
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