Indian security forces have reportedly killed 13 civilians by mistake in a botched ambush in the Indian state of Nagaland near the Myanmar border on Saturday.
According to details, the security forces mistakenly opened fire on a truck carrying 30 miners who were returning home from work, killing six. The angry villagers confronted the forces and seven others were killed in the confrontation, including an Indian soldier. Indian Home Minister said that he was “anguished” by the incident and vowed to investigate it.
“The troops had intelligence inputs about some militant movement in the area and on seeing the truck they mistook the miners to be rebels and opened fire killing six labourers,” a senior police official told Reuters.
The Indian army has been battling separatists in the said area for years. This is the first time that the army has opened fire on civilians, but not the first time the security forces have been accused of targeting the civilians.
Following the incident, the villagers threw stones at the forces’ camp set fire to their vehicles.