DIMAPUR, SEPTEMEBR 6 (MExN): NESO called bandh in force, Dimapur was expecting a quiet day early on Thursday. The calm was however shattered by the sounds of automatic gunfire and grenade explosions in the morning.
Heavily armed cadres, suspected to be of the GPRN/NSCN surrounded and attacked one house at Thahekhu village Block V. Retaliatory in nature, the house, which was targeted, was the residence of one ‘Major’ Khetovi, who recently defected to the NSCN-K alongwith eight others. Children and women were also in the house
The shootout started around 7:30 am and lasted well over an hour alarming residents of the neighbourhood. In the aftermath of the shootout, two cadres based inside the residential compound were wounded while four vehicles were damaged. Two of the vehicles were charred beyond repair. The cars were burned by fire believed to have been caused from grenade explosion. One grenade exploded inside the house while another went off just outside the porch.
Two more explosives, which failed to go off were found – one in the targeted compound and a second in a drainage outlet next door.
The injured cadres were identified by police as ‘sergeant’ Momo Anal (26 years) and ‘sergeant major’ James Kikon, both of the NSCN-K. The former was wounded on the thigh and the latter on the arm.
The intervention of the civil society, the police and the Assam Rifles eventually forced one of the warring factions to withdraw. Further drama ensued, when the Assam Rifles tried to disarm and take into custody the cadres inside the house. The civil society, led by women, disagreed while demanding that the cadres be safely escorted to their camp. The cadres were finally given safe passage and escorted away by the NAP (IR) to an undisclosed location. It could not be ascertained whether ‘major’ Khetovi was also among the cadres who were escorted away, or escaped during the gun battle.
Only, the drama was not to end there. The secured motorcade escorting the cadres was stopped at the Purana Bazaar junction (NH 29) by the military. According to informed sources, the military wanted the custody of the cadres, which resulted in a sort of a standoff between the IRB escort party and the military personnel. The face-off was eventually diffused following the intervention of the district administration, and the motorcade was allowed to pass.
