Dimapur, July 14: A day after an Assam Rifles havildar was killed in a suspected IED blast in Chümoukedima, the Army on Tuesday appealed to the people of Nagaland not to allow the attack to undermine the state’s hard-earned peace, describing those behind the explosion as “enemies of Nagaland.”
The appeal came as Havildar Mohammad Iqbal (44) of 28 Assam Rifles was accorded full military honours at the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School (ARTC&S) at 3rd Mile, Dimapur.
Iqbal was killed on Monday when a suspected improvised explosive device exploded along the Chümoukedima (A) village-Shokhuvi road while he was driving a Mahindra Bolero pickup. Four other personnel, including an Assistant Commandant, were injured in the blast and are reported to be stable and out of danger.
Leading the wreath-laying ceremony, Director General of Assam Rifles Lt. Gen. Vikas Lakhera strongly condemned the attack and said security forces would take all necessary measures to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
Calling the perpetrators “enemies of Nagaland”, Lakhera urged citizens not to allow the incident to derail the peace the state has painstakingly built over the years.
“Peace is the foundation of Nagaland’s future and the security of its children,” he said, appealing to the public to stand united against attempts to disturb normalcy.
The ceremony was attended by Lt. Gen. V.M. Bhuvana Krishnan, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command; Lt. Gen. Girish Kalia, GOC 3 Corps; Maj. Gen. Harinder Singh Mavi, Inspector General Assam Rifles (North); and Brig. C.S. Pathania, Commandant, ARTC&S.
Lakhera said Havildar Iqbal’s mortal remains would be flown to his native Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday for his last rites.
He also confirmed that investigations into the blast are continuing and that no organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The IED explosion has sent shockwaves through Nagaland, where the incident has been widely condemned by political parties, tribal bodies and civil society organisations, all of whom have appealed for restraint and reaffirmed support for the state’s ongoing peace process.
Havildar Iqbal, who was posted at ARTC&S Shokhuvi, is survived by his wife.
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