10-30-2006, 02:54 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thousands flee as Nagaland militants clash
www.hindu.com/2006/10/28/...161200.htm
Guwahati: Over 4,000 people have fled their houses in Nagaland's Zunheboto district after a <b>gunbattle broke out between the rival militant factions â National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak Muivah) and the NSCN (Khaplang).</b>
The Deputy Commissioner told The Hindu over phone that about 160 cadres of NSCN(I-M) and about 100 cadres of the Kahplang faction had been engaged in a fierce battle at Amiphoto Colony since Thursday morning. Two Khaplang faction cadres were killed.
<b>The militants used rocket launchers, mortars, AK-47, AK-56 and snipers in the heavy exchange of fire which began around 9 a.m. and continued till 6.30 p.m. on Thursday. The battle resumed on Friday morning and continued till 6 p.m.</b>
The official said if the ongoing efforts to end the battle "peacefully and amicably' failed, the district administration would use force on Saturday to flush out the militants.
"It is a systematic violation of the ground rules of ceasefire by both the factions," he said.
The Deputy Commissioner said three companies of the Assam Rifles and two of the India Reserve Battalion have been kept ready.
He said that although no civilian was injured, around 4,000 people vacated their houses and took shelter in relatives' places elsewhere in the district.
The district administration has kept Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio posted.
<b>One Khaplang militant who died on Thursday was identified as Abel Zeliang </b>of Tamelnglong district of Manipur.
The other militant is yet to be identified. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
www.hindu.com/2006/10/28/...161200.htm
Guwahati: Over 4,000 people have fled their houses in Nagaland's Zunheboto district after a <b>gunbattle broke out between the rival militant factions â National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak Muivah) and the NSCN (Khaplang).</b>
The Deputy Commissioner told The Hindu over phone that about 160 cadres of NSCN(I-M) and about 100 cadres of the Kahplang faction had been engaged in a fierce battle at Amiphoto Colony since Thursday morning. Two Khaplang faction cadres were killed.
<b>The militants used rocket launchers, mortars, AK-47, AK-56 and snipers in the heavy exchange of fire which began around 9 a.m. and continued till 6.30 p.m. on Thursday. The battle resumed on Friday morning and continued till 6 p.m.</b>
The official said if the ongoing efforts to end the battle "peacefully and amicably' failed, the district administration would use force on Saturday to flush out the militants.
"It is a systematic violation of the ground rules of ceasefire by both the factions," he said.
The Deputy Commissioner said three companies of the Assam Rifles and two of the India Reserve Battalion have been kept ready.
He said that although no civilian was injured, around 4,000 people vacated their houses and took shelter in relatives' places elsewhere in the district.
The district administration has kept Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio posted.
<b>One Khaplang militant who died on Thursday was identified as Abel Zeliang </b>of Tamelnglong district of Manipur.
The other militant is yet to be identified. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->