Top NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung) faction militant nabbed

Security forces have nabbed a top NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung) faction militant who was the alleged mastermind in the killing of two Assam Rifles personnel during a gunfight in Mon district of Nagaland, a top Assam Rifles officer said Saturday.

"Security Forces have made a breakthrough in the apprehension of dreaded insurgent of NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung) faction, who was instrumental in many brutal and heinous crimes including killing of two Assam Rifles soldiers," said Major General Pradeep C Nair, the Inspector General of Assam Rifles- IGAR(North) while briefing media persons here.

The security forces arrested on Friday arrested Yanghan alias Mopa, a self-styled major general of the NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung) faction, he said.

An Assam Rifles convoy in Tobu area of Mon district on May 25 last was ambushed in which two soldiers were killed.

The IG said that GOC-in-C Eastern Command, Lt Gen MM Naravane visited the forward areas on June 5 to exhort the troops for ensuring relentless operations to nab the culprits involved in the ambush against the Assam Rifles. The GOC-in-C had also announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakhs to anyone who would provide information regarding the insurgents involved, he said.

A ground-input was received regarding presence of these insurgents in Aboi area in Mon District and additional check points were established all over the area to swarm the target area by day break of Friday, he said.

The IG said on June 21, Assam Rifles troops clearly identified the vehicle they were travelling and in a swift clinical operation were able to apprehend self-styled Maj Gen Yanghan alias Mopa.

He informed that Mopa is the highest ranking cadre of NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung) faction in India besides being the chief architect of extortion and is a perpetrator of many heinous crimes.

Expressing that this operation has been a massive victory for all the security forces and the state government, the IGAR(N) said "we resolve to continue in our relentless operations to protect all the citizens from this bane of terrorism".

He also appealed to all the cadres to give up this futile course of violence and join the initiative of the Government of India in its ceasefire efforts to bring peace and development in our region.