The recent counter-insurgency operation in which six cadres of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) were gunned down by the Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh, the faction has alleged that the six cadres were killed in order to send a message to China.

NSCN-IM said in a press release issued on Sunday stated, “Longding district inhabited by Nagas is not far from the Indo-China border where India is having a border dispute. There is reportedly heavy concentration of Chinese PLA soldiers in the disputed area”.

It added, “After the Galwan incident in June, this Longding killing of 6 NSCN-IM personnel by Indian security forces may be understood to send the message across that Indian Army will not tolerate any forces who dare to come too close for comfort”.

The release had referred to the violent face-off between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley during which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

Agencies