Guwahati, January 17: The Assam Rifles have “temporarily suspended” counter-insurgency operations in Mon district of Nagaland following the uproar over the death of 14 civilians near Oting village in a botched anti-militant operation and its aftermath in December.
Officials in Nagaland told The Telegraph on Saturday that the operations could remain suspended till the inquiries into the civilian deaths were complete. The Assam Rifles is a paramilitary force under the administrative control of the Union home ministry and operational control of the army.
Efforts to get reactions from the army and the Assam Rifles were unsuccessful.
A Nagaland government official said on Sunday: “I am not aware of other areas in the state but in Mon right now, they (the Assam Rifles) are not moving out anywhere except for ration and other such activities… not moving out much.”
The 27 Assam Rifles is based in Mon district that borders Myanmar.
“A suspension of operations means no area domination, no patrolling, no arrests and no searches by either the army or the Assam Rifles. There’s been a lot of anger over the botched operation,” an official said.
Officials said the temporary suspension of operations was a confidence-building measure to try and restore normality. (TT)
