India to take action against troops who killed civilians

Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane said "appropriate action" would be taken against troops who allegedly killed 14 civilians in a botched operation and subsequent violence in the northeastern state of Nagaland.

Naravane on Wednesday regretted the incident which happened in December in Nagaland's Mon district, in which a trooper was also killed.

He told his annual press conference that the regrettable incident that happened in Oting in Nagaland on Dec.4, 2021 would be thoroughly investigated.

"Appropriate action will be taken and corrective measures be instituted to further improve the conduct of operations of the Indian troops,'' Naravane said.

The killings have generated a massive backlash against the Indian army and triggered a demand for the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Act (AFSPA).

It was claimed that the act gave sweeping and special powers to the Indian army in the search and arrest of suspects in Nagaland.

On Dec. 4, 21 Para Special Forces (SF) of the Army in a botched-up counter-insurgency operation in the district fired indiscriminately at civilians.

The first firing led to the death of six civilians after the SF unit mistook coal mine workers returning home in a pick-up van, to be members of the terrorist outfit NSCN (K).

As these coal mine workers did not return, villagers and locals started looking for them and surrounded Army vehicles.

The troops fired at these agitating civilians of which seven lost their lives including one army officer.

The Nagaland Police in its FIR against the 21 Para SF unit said the firing was without any provocation, intended to injure and kill civilians.

"On reaching at Langkhao between Upper Tiru and Oting village, security forces fired at the vehicle without any provocation, resulting to the killing of many Oting villagers and seriously injured many others," the FIR lodged at the Tizit police station read.

The state government has also formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.

AFSPA is presently in force across much of the northeast region in India.