13 civilians killed by security forces in northeast India

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New Delhi (AFP) – Indian security forces killed 13 civilians in northeastern Nagaland state after shooting at a truck and later shooting at a crowd that had gathered to protest the attack, police said on Sunday.

Soldiers shot dead six workers returning home on Saturday afternoon in Mon district, near the Myanmar border, after ambushing insurgents they said were operating in the area.

Family members and villagers then searched for the missing men and clashed with the troops after finding the bodies.

“This is where a clash broke out between the two sides, and security forces fired, killing seven other people,” Nagaland Police Officer Sandeep M. Tamgadge told AFP.

Tamgadge said the situation in the district was “very tense at the moment”, with nine other civilians injured in the second incident who are now being treated in local hospitals.

The Indian military said in a statement that one of its soldiers died in the clash, with an unknown number of soldiers injured.

He added that the soldiers were acting on “credible intelligence” that insurgents were operating in the area and had ambushed them to intercept them.

“The cause of the unfortunate loss of life is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate measures will be taken in accordance with the law,” the statement said.

“Call for peace”

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio called for calm and announced an investigation into the event.

“The unfortunate incident which led to the killing of civilians in Oting, Mon is highly reprehensible,” he said on Twitter. “Call for peace from all sections.”

Mon District is about 350 kilometers from Nagaland’s capital, Kohima, and is more than a day’s drive away on poorly maintained roads.

Senior state, police and military officials had arrived in the district to investigate, a senior state government official told AFP, who requested anonymity.

Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah expressed regret over the incident and said the state investigation “would ensure justice for bereaved families”.

Nagaland and other states in northeast India, linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land corridor, have experienced decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups.

The region is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerrilla armies whose demands range from greater autonomy to secession from India.

Over the years, the insurgency has waned, with many groups making deals with New Delhi to gain more power, but a large Indian garrison remains stationed in the area.

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