NSCNI-M violating ceasefire rules: Army

The Army on Friday accused the NSCNI-M of violating the ground rules of ceasefire and engaging in smuggling of illegal arms to various other insurgent groups of the Northeastern region. The allegations came in the form of a press note issued by the Army PRO attached to its 3 Corps headquarters. Lt Col Nirupam Bhargava said when security forces were trying to bust an arms supply racket to a lesser-known outfit Karbi Longri National Liberation Front in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, they hit upon a group of NSCNI-M cadres outside Nagaland with arms.

8220;When the vehicle Gypsy with the miscreants was about to be checked by security forces inside Karbi Anglong in Assam, the miscreants opened fire, injuring one army soldier and a civilian. In the retaliatory fire, one civilian was killed and another injured,8221; the Army PRO8217;s press note said. And a day later, it pointed out that the NSCNI-M claimed that the victim was its member and that the Army had killed him in alleged violation of ceasefire rules.

8220;This confirms the NSCNI-M8217;s involvement in arms smuggling and trafficking to various insurgent and terrorist groups in Assam and Nagaland. 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,8221; the press note stated.

Factional fights in Nagaland have killed hundreds of NSCN cadres on both sides and civilians as well. Both factions have maintained that their individual ceasefire agreements with the Centre doesn8217;t extend to their rivalry.

In one instance, an ambush by NSCN I-M on a K-faction party in Tuensang district in Nagaland resulted in four NSCN K militants being killed. Another gunbattle in Kohima left an NSCN I-M cadre injured, while one K cadre was shot dead in another shootout in the Nagaland capital.