Armed forces in India’s north-eastern state of Nagaland have killed at least 13 civilians in, and after, an ambush near the border with Myanmar, officials say.
As per a BBC report, an army patrol opened fire on mining workers returning home after work in Mon district, killing six people.
Seven more civilians and an Indian soldier died when angry locals confronted troops, BBC reported.
Home Minister of India Amit Shah said he was “anguished” and vowed to investigate.
Anguished over an unfortunate incident in Nagaland’s Oting, Mon. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. A high-level SIT constituted by the State govt will thoroughly probe this incident to ensure justice to the bereaved families.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 5, 2021
People in Nagaland accuse Indian forces of wrongly targeting innocent locals in their counterinsurgency operations.
The Assam Rifles of the Indian army, opened fire on a truck carrying 30 coalmine workers near their camp.
“The troopers had intelligence inputs about some militant movement in the area and on seeing the truck they mistook the miners to be rebels and opened fire killing six labourers,” the official told BBC, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with the media.
As news spread of the killings, hundreds of locals surrounded the camp before burning vehicles belonging to the Assam Rifles and clashing with troopers using “crude weapons”, he said.
Soldiers then shot dead a further seven people, AFP news agency reported quoting state police officer Sandeep M Tamgadge.
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