Kohima, November 1 (MExN): The Army has refuted a news report published today, in some of the newspapers from Nagaland titled “Indian Army Violates Ceasefire, Kills inside Nagaland”. Lt Col Nirupam Bhargava PRO Defence Nagaland has described the report as totally baseless and misleading. “At the very outset, media is requested to keep the sensitivities of the people in the country, and specifically, of the people in the States of Assam and Nagaland in mind, before such reporting”, the PRO stated in a press note received here. Pointing out that it was ‘absolutely wrong’ to say that the killing of NSCN (IM) cadre at Khatkhati (Assam) was a violation of the Ceasefire Ground Rules, the PRO pointed out that the incident took place after the “Security Forces were mobilised, based on the inputs regarding an arms deal between some unknown party and KLNLF terrorists at the site of the incident”. It stated that “when the vehicle (Maruti Gypsy) with the miscreants, was about to be checked by the Security Forces, the miscreants opened fire, injuring one Army soldier and a civilian”. In the retaliatory fire in self defence, one civilian was killed and another injured, the PRO stated.
“The facts of the incident are self revealing”, it stated adding that the incident took place inside Assam and not in Nagaland. FIR to this effect, against the miscreants has been lodged by the Army, with Police Station Bokajan, in Assam. Further it clarified that as per Media, the man killed and the injured civilians belonged to NSCN (IM). “This confirms the outfit’s involvement in arms smuggling and trafficking to various insurgent and terrorist groups in Assam and Nagaland”, the PRO claimed. “Besides, the cadres were moving with weapons outside the designated camps, which is a grave violation of the Ceasefire Ground Rules, and is totally against the provisions, therein”, the PRO stated. Recovery of one 9mm Sub Machine Gun, one 9mm Chinese Pistol and a few fired cases of AK Rifle is testimony of the same, it stated.
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