Kohima: Two activists of the NSCN (Unification) were killed by rival NSCN (IM) at Merapani area near the Assam-Nagaland border even as there was no sign of let up in the fighting among armed cadres of rival Naga underground factions in Nagaland.

The two NSCN (U) activists were killed by rival NSCN (IM) near Forest Range office at Merapani in Wokha district yesterday, official sources said today.

The turf war between NSCN (IM) and NSCN (U), which started at Dimapur has now spread to other parts of the state, according to the sources.

Meanwhile, NSCN(I-M) today alleged that the rival group had killed two of its functionaries on Saturday at Dimapur and abducted another of its member yesterday in the same town.

Over a dozen cadres from either group, an IRB jawan and three civilians were killed in and around Dimapur since the Neipiu Rio government came to power in March for the second consecutive term.

On Saturday, police had recovered bullet-riddled bodies of an area commander and a lance corporal of NSCN(I-M)'s Konyak region unit near a petrol pump at Dimapur.

Police and paramilitary forces have stepped up patrols and searching of vehicles in Kohima and Dimapur after respective district authorities decided to carry out flush-out operations if cadres of various factions failed to move out from populated areas to their designated camps, official sources said.
Source : PTI