In the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, armed forces mistakenly shot civilians, mistaking them for an insurgent group. According to AFP, 13 people were killed, according to Reuters – 14 civilians and one security officer.
The incident took place in and around the village of Oting in Mon County (bordering Myanmar). “The soldiers had intelligence about some kind of militant movement in the area, and when they saw the truck, they mistook the miners for insurgents and opened fire, killing six workers,” the police officer told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
After that, he said, news of the shooting spread throughout the village, and the military camp was surrounded by hundreds of tribal residents. Clashes broke out between the parties, during which eight more civilians and a security officer were killed.
“The situation in all of Mon County is very tense right now. We have 13 confirmed deaths, including one worker from outside Nagaland, ”State Police Officer Sandip M. Tamgaj told AFP.
Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah said he was “upset” by the news of the deaths of civilians. Nagaland’s chief minister, Neifiu Rio, said that an investigation would be carried out into the incident and those responsible would be held accountable. He called the incident an intelligence failure.
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