DNSU condemns alleged Langkho drone attack, demands AFSPA repeal

Dimapur, October 14 (MExN): The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has condemned the October 3 drone attack on Langkho village in the Naga Self-Administered Zone (NSAZ), which injured two civilians, including a minor girl, and caused extensive damage to civilian properties.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the DNSU expressed profound outrage over the attack and said the deliberate or indiscriminate targeting of civilian-populated areas constituted a violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the Geneva Conventions and the core principles of the United Nations Charter, irrespective of the identity of the perpetrators.

The union said military operations under international law must adhere to the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, adding that aerial strikes in inhabited civilian areas disregarded human life, dignity and fundamental international legal norms.

“Civilian lives, especially those of women and children, are sacred and cannot be dismissed as ‘collateral damage’ under any circumstances,” the DNSU said, adding that reckless military actions in civilian territories created fear, insecurity and trauma among innocent populations.

The union demanded an immediate halt to all military operations and aerial strikes in civilian-populated areas in accordance with international humanitarian standards.

The DNSU also expressed grave concern over the re-extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) across the Naga homeland by the Ministry of Home Affairs, with effect from October 1, 2026.

For decades, AFSPA had acted as an instrument of fear and oppression, shielding perpetrators through legal immunity while stripping people of their fundamental human rights, the union alleged.

Demanding the immediate repeal of AFSPA from the entire Naga homeland, the DNSU said its withdrawal was necessary to restore human rights, democratic values and genuine peace.

The union also expressed solidarity with the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and the victims of the Langkho attack.

It called upon international human rights organisations, the United Nations and civil society bodies to take cognisance of the alleged violations and ensure justice for the affected people.