NSCN Vows to Identify Perpetrators of Nagaland IED Blast That Killed Soldier

The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), also known as the Isak-Muivah faction, has announced that it will make every effort to identify those responsible for an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that killed an Assam Rifles soldier in Nagaland on Monday.

The blast occurred near the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School at Sukhovi in Chümoukedima district. Havildar Mohammed Iqbal, a native of Kallar Mohra village in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, was killed. Four other personnel were injured in the attack.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NSCN condemned what it described as a “cowardly terrorist act of planting and detonating” the IED. The group, which has been in a ceasefire with the Indian government since 1997, said such violence serves no legitimate purpose and undermines the peaceful atmosphere that the people of Nagaland have long desired.

The NSCN said it remains a signatory to the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment banning anti-personnel mines and therefore rejects the use of weapons such as IEDs. It also reiterated its adherence to the Indo-Naga ceasefire agreement and its commitment to honour the ceasefire ground rules.

From its headquarters at Camp Hebron near Dimapur, the group vowed to use its resources to ascertain the truth behind the blast and identify the perpetrators, stating that those responsible must be exposed and held accountable.

Former Nagaland Minister Mmhonlumo Kikon, who left the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2025, raised questions about the incident. He said an explosion near an Army training facility prompts concerns about security preparedness and intelligence gathering. Kikon added that the public deserves clarity on how the incident occurred and whether existing preventive measures were adequate. He urged a thorough investigation, emphasizing that Nagaland's peace is too precious to be taken for granted.