28 youths abducted from Nagaland, Arunachal by NSCN

Kohima/Itanagar, Nov 30 (UNI) At least 28 youths have reportedly been abducted from Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh by the proscribed NSCN, prompting the Assam Rifles to swing into action to rescue them.

A release issued at Kohima today by the PRO, IGAR(N), said Purr Village Council in Nagaland confirmed the abduction of 14 people - five village guards and nine teenagers - from Purr village of Phek district by NSCN(K) ultras. It is suspected that the abductors took them to Thewati village in the state along the Indo-Myanmar border with an aim to recruit them subsequently into the outfit.

Immediately after receiving the information, personnel from 33rd Assam Rifles swung into action and launched a massive manhunt to track down the abductors.

However, according to latest information, the NSCN(K) had released five Village Guards and one of the kidnapped boys and they were on way to their village.

Meanwhile, a report from Itanagar stated that at least 14 youths have been kidnapped from Ninu Village under Wakka circle of Arunachal's Tirap district by the NSCN(IM), as part of its ongoing recruitment drive.

The district administration is, however, not sure whether the youths had been kidnapped or they voluntarily joined the outfit.

Tirap district deputy commissioner Ankur Garg told UNI today that people from the district, having relatives in Myanmar and Nagaland, often travel to these places and return after several days and so the picture was not yet clear.

However, according to highly placed sources, a local man of Ninu Village, suspected to be an NSCN(IM) cadre, has reportedly recruited 16 youths from the village, besides two from Longsom, three from Bera and one from Konsa in the district, with a target to recruit 50 youths from Khonsa, Longding and Kanubari circles.

Moreover, they are also resorting to extortion and have employed some locals for the purpose, the sources claimed, adding these were violation of the ceasefire ground rules.

There were also reports that the ULFA and Khaplang faction of the NSCN were conducting joint training for 30 newly recruited ULFA cadres in Mahadevpur, Pongchau and Bordumsa circles of Lohit, Tirap and Changlang districts to prepare for a possible Army crackdown in Assam and Nagaland.

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