Nagaland: Assam Rifles accuses NSCN-K(YA) of attacking villagers with grenades

Kohima: The Assam Rifles (AR) on Friday accused the NSCN-K(YA) of attacking villagers in Chenloishe under Mon district for indulging in “nefarious activities against the local people of Nagaland”.

PRO Defence Sumit Kumar informed that three hand grenades were “lobbed” at the villagers and the Assam Rifles personnel on Thursday evening. He claimed that the attack was made from a height above the dense foliage when the security forces and villagers were returning after clearing a landslide-hit area.

“Unfortunately, the grenades landed in front of civilians, of which two didn’t explode. However, one grenade exploded causing shrapnel injuries to a 75-year-old local Keipa of Kangynu village,” he said.

He added that the security forces immediately swung into action and fired a couple of rounds towards the assessed location from where the grenades were lobbed. The injured person was immediately rushed to the company base of Assam Rifles for first aid, after which the patient was moved to Mon for treatment.

“This cowardly action against locals and security forces while being involved in assistance to locals displays that the NSCN-K(YA) is desperate since the villagers have denied any support with respect to money or ration to these cadres,” he added.

Also read | Nagaland college students’ body urges govt to monitor coaching institutes

As per his narrative, prior to the incident on Tuesday, the chairman of Chenloisho village had approached the Assam Rifles at COB Chenloiso to assist in clearing the landslide from the track of Chenloisho hydro project.

The next day, he said, a team of security personnel carried out the assessment of the landslide-hit areas along with the village chairman and ‘gaon burah’ (GB), following which the affected areas were cleared with the help of local villagers from Kangynu, Wangto and Chenloisho.