At least 13 civilians have been killed by the army in the Indian state of Nagaland News

Protests after gunfire was allegedly carried out by soldiers in a remote area of ​​northeast India.

Demonstrators set fire to military vehicles after more than a dozen civilians were shot dead by soldiers on suspicion of being “militants” in the Indian state of Nagaland.

Indian security forces fired on civilians on Saturday night in a remote area in northeastern India, bordering Myanmar, according to local media.

“The situation in the whole Mon district is very tense now. We have confirmed 13 deaths, including one from outside Nagaland State, ”said Sandeep M Tamgadge Nagaland police.

Rio Nagaland’s chief minister Neiphiu told Reuters that an investigation would be carried out and that those responsible for the incident would be punished for failing to do so.

“The unfortunate incident that led to the killing of Oting’s civilians is highly reprehensible,” he tweeted.

The incident took place in and around the town of Oting in the Mon district in a counter-insurgency operation by members of the Assam Rifles, part of the deployment of Indian security forces in the state, a senior Nagaland-based police official said.

The shootings began when a truck carrying 30 or more coal miners was passing by the Assam Rifles camp, officials told Reuters and the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

“The mob had information about some of the militant movements in the area and when they saw the truck, the miners were rebellious and shot and killed six workers,” a senior police official told Reuters.

“Following the news of the shooting in the village, hundreds of tribes surrounded the camp. They burned Assam Rifles vehicles and clashed with soldiers using raw weapons, ”he said.

Members of the Assam Rifles group were retaliated against, and in the second attack eight other civilians and a member of the security were among the dead, authorities said.

Overwhelmed by an unfortunate incident in Oting, Nagaland, Mon. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. A high-level SIT formed by the state government will investigate this incident in depth to ensure justice for the bereaved families.

– Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 5, 2021

Government forces are fighting dozens of ethnic groups armed groups In the far northeast of India, whose demands range from independent homelands to India’s maximum autonomy.

Nagaland residents have often accused the forces of misleading innocent residents in their counter-insurgency operations.