A suspected low-intensity IED blast was reported along National Highway 02 near Khuzama village in Kohima district at around 7:30 am on November 11, causing damage to a retaining wall. (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)
• Copper wire, machete recovered from blast site
• Rio assures government action to ensure safety
• SAPO demands perpetrators be traced and booked
Morung Express news
Kohima | November 11
A suspected low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast was reported along National Highway 02 near Khuzama village in Kohima district at around 7:30 am on November 11, causing damage to a retaining wall, police said. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed damage to a retaining wall along the highway, while trees on the opposite side of the road bore visible signs of the blast impact, according to a PTI report. Around 110 metres of copper wire was also recovered from the spot.
A machete and chocolate wrappers were reportedly found on the hillside above the road near the blast site.
Confirming the incident, the Additional Superintendent of Police and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Kohima Police, said the SDPO (South), along with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Mobile Unit and personnel from other police stations, had reached the spot.
The police have also requisitioned a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team to examine the scene and collect necessary forensic evidence.
Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio strongly condemned the reported incident and said, “Such acts have no place in a civilised society. It creates fear among our people & threatens peace & harmony.”
‘The government has taken stock of the situation and all steps are being taken to ensure the safety and security of our people,’ the CM said on a social media post.
The Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) condemned the act in the strongest terms and demanded that the perpetrators be traced and booked under the highest provisions of the law.
Terming the act a “direct and deliberate assault” on the peace, security and dignity of the peace-loving citizens of Southern Angami in particular and the people of Nagaland in general, SAPO said such “heinous, barbaric and inhuman” acts were perpetrated by “unscrupulous and unwanted elements” whose sole motive was to “instil fear, shatter tranquillity, disrupt normal life and derail the collective aspiration of our people for lasting peace and progress.”
In a statement issued by Er Tepul Hopovi, President, SAPO, the body condemned the blast “in the strongest and highest possible terms without any reservation,” stating that planting a lethal explosive on a public highway traversed daily by students, farmers, commuters, patients, tourists and security personnel was “an act of utter cruelty and moral bankruptcy.”
Noting that “today it was a retaining wall that bore the brunt, but tomorrow it could have been innocent lives,” SAPO appealed to all citizens to remain calm, composed and vigilant and not to succumb to rumours, panic or speculation, and urged the public to immediately report any suspicious object, movement or person to village authorities or the nearest police station.
SAPO pledged its “wholehearted and unflinching cooperation” to all investigating agencies, including the Nagaland Police, Khuzama Police Station and all concerned security agencies, and urged every citizen to do the same so that “no stone is left unturned in unearthing the truth.”
SAPO demanded that the perpetrators behind the “cowardly act” be traced, apprehended without delay and booked under the highest provisions of the law so that “exemplary punishment serves as a stern deterrent and such nefarious acts are never repeated in our soil.”
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, justice and the welfare of the people, SAPO expressed solidarity with the people of Khuzama and all peace-loving citizens and prayed for the continued peace, safety and protection of the land.
