Kohima: A total of 112 people were killed in factional clashes in Nagaland between 2008 and February this year, the state assembly was told on Saturday.
To a query from opposition leader Tokheho Yepthomi, Home Minister Imkong Imchen said while 88 underground activists died in 2008, killings came down drastically to two and three in 2009 and 2010 respectively. In 2011 and this year till February, eight and 11 were killed in factional clashes, Imchen said.
The opposition leader urged the government to adopt measures to check factional fightings since the underground activists are also part and parcel of the larger Naga family.
He said while the budget session was on, three persons were killed in Mon on Thursday and another person was killed this morning near Naga Hospital in the capital town.
Meanwhile, the police said a member of GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) was killed by gunmen inside the Naga Hospital complex, when he was sitting on a bench there.
A civilian, a visitor to a patient, sitting near him was also injured but he was out of danger, sources said.
Police suspected this was a case of factional rivalry. On Thursday, bodies of three GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) cadres were recovered from a village in remote Mon district.
They were suspected to be gunned down by rival NSCN(K) men. Condemning the killings of the three, the powerful Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has declared non-cooperation against NSCN(K), asserting that the incident violated the tribal body’s resolution of December 18, 2007.
In a statement, the apex organization of six Naga tribes said the resolution had declared that underground groups operating in ENPO area would not fight among themselves. (PTI)
