Eleven persons including the sitting National People’s Party (NPP) legislator from Khonsa West in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, were killed in an attack by militants on Tuesday.
“As per police report, 11 persons including the sitting MLA Khonsa West Tirong Aboh were ambushed and killed at 12th Mile, 20 kms between Khonsa and Deomali road by armed militants,” Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said in a statement.
According to police, the incident took place around 11:30 am Bogapani, nearly 25 km from district headquarters Khonsa in south-eastern Arunachal Pradesh when the convoy of MLA Tirong Aboh was attacked.
Initial reports suggest the attack was carried out by suspected Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) militants. Aboh had been targeted twice by NSCN (IM) in 2009 and 2014.
Sources stated that the four-car convoy of the legislator, which was on its way from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh, was attacked by NSCN (IM) cadres in olive green fatigues.
Besides Aboh, the deceased include his son Longgem Aboh, two security officers and several close associates. Two other security officers sustained injuries while another escaped unhurt.
The deceased MLA was also the NPP candidate for the Khonsa West assembly seat. Polling for 60 assembly seats along with the two Lok Sabha seats in the state took place on April 11.
In March, a group of NSCN cadres belonging to the Isak-Muivah faction of the outfit had attacked two NPP supporters in Tirap district. One of them died while the other was critically injured.
“The NPP is extremely shocked and saddened by the news of the death of its MLA Shri Tirong Aboh and his family,” NPP president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma tweeted.
Forty five-year-old Aboh had contested and won from Khonsa West in 2014 on a People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) ticket. In July last year, he, along with six other PPA legislators, switched sides to the NPP.
“The barbaric and inhuman act of such magnitude is rare and not acceptable. All possible measures will be taken to nab the culprits and give them exemplary punishments,” Khandu stated.
An operation by the army has been launched in the area to nab the militants involved and additional police force from Changlang district rushed to Khonsa.
First Published:
May 21, 2019 16:45 IST
Source: HindustanTimes