A Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 2
Three people, including an NSCN (K) finance secretary were gunned down in an early morning ambush by the Indian security forces near Satakha, in Zunheboto district. The incident occurred at around 2.30 am on Monday.
The casualty list includes L Tuccu, an NSCN (K) ‘kilonser’, his bodyguard and another civilian, according to sources. They were reportedly on their way to the kilonser’s native village to pay final respects to his father, who had passed away some days back.
Some sources also suggested that the slain civilian was a relative of the finance secretary. This however could not be confirmed till the filing of this report. Since the abrogation of the peace truce between New Delhi and the NSCN (K) early this year, both the Indian security forces and the NSCN (K) have frequently launched violent offensives, killing numerous lives on both sides.
Meanwhile, IGAR(North) in a press release said in a “major success” against NSCN(K) in Nagaland, the security forces successfully “neutralized” three hard core NSCN(K) cadres in the early hours of November 2, in Zunheboto district. One of the “neutralized” cadres has been “positively” identified as L Tuccu, the self styled finance secretary of NSCN(K), it claimed. According to the IGAR(N), during the past several days there were inputs of infiltration of several groups of NSCN(K) cadres from across the Indo-Myanmar border. These groups are equipped with bombs, rockets and heavy weapons to carry out attacks against the security forces as well as to instill fear in the public to extort funds from the businessmen, it stated.
The press statement of the IGAR(N) then said that input of one of these groups being present in the area of Hoshepu village, Zunheboto district, was received by the security forces and accordingly a patrol was launched in the area to prevent the group from carrying out its nefarious designs.
The statement added that at approximately 5.15 am, a Tata Sumo was observed moving in the area. As the vehicle was asked to stop for checking, the occupants from inside the vehicle fired on the security forces patrol, who also retaliated back, it claimed. In the ensuing fire fight three cadres of NSCN(K) were neutralised and one over ground worker apprehended, it further claimed. Search of the vehicle revealed one AK-47 assault rifle with magazine, assorted ammunition, radio sets, military grade pouches etc. Spot questioning of the apprehended over ground worker led to the search of a farm house of finance secretary L Tuccu, where another over ground worker was apprehended with a 12 bore rifle along with large quantity of ammunition. In the farm house an Assamese “bonded labour” was also rescued, who had been abducted by L Tuccu from a truck owner in Kohima in February, 2015, it alleged.
“SS finance secretary L Tuccu was a senior cadre in the NSCN(K) faction and was controlling the entire financial transactions in Nagaland. The neutralisation of L Tuccu will be a major setback for the operations of NSCN(K) in Nagaland as well as in Myanmar,” the press note said.
According to the IGAR(N), this was only one of the many groups of NSCN (K) which has infiltrated into Nagaland from Myanmar. “There are several groups operating in Tuensang, Mon, Zunheboto, Kiphire, Phek, Kohima and Dimapur districts, it also said.
These groups are equipped with Improvised explosive devices, rocket launchers and assault rifles with the aim of creating havoc in Nagaland. Cadres of insurgent groups like the UNLF & ULFA (I) from Manipur and Assam respectively, are also operating along with NSCN(K) in Nagaland.
All civil society organisations and public are advised to provide information of any suspicious movement of unknown people in their areas to the nearest police station or the Assam Rifle unit, so that timely preventive action can be taken to preserve the peace and tranquillity in Nagaland, especially with the festive season around the corner,” it added.
