Arunachal NPP urges Centre to apprehend Tirong Aboh's killers

The Arunachal Pradesh unit of National People's Party (NPP) on Wednesday urged the state and the central governments to apprehend the insurgents behind the killing of MLA Tirong Aboh and 10 others.

Suspected NSCN militants on Tuesday gunned down Aboh, also an NPP assembly poll candidate, and 10 others, including his son and two security personnel, in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The NPP, which called an emergency state executive meeting, appealed to the investigating teams to trace "political leaders of the district, who are involved with the militant groups responsible for killing Aboh".

Aboh, 41, was seeking re-election from the Khonsa West constituency.

"This is the first-ever incident in which an insurgent group ambushed and killed a contested candidate in the state," said Gicho Kabak, the party's state unit president.

It also urged the state government to provide adequate security to NPP candidates and party leaders.

Meanwhile, a massive combing operation was launched by security forces to trace the suspected NSCN militants, an official said on Wednesday.

The Army, the Assam Rifles and the state police have launched the operation to nab the perpetrators involved in the crime, Tirap Deputy Commissioner P N Thungon said.