NSCN (Khaplang) paid heavy price after June 2015 ambush, says officials

New Delhi/Kohima, Dec 18: Even as the centre is making forward march in the peace process for a possible agreement with National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-Isak Muivah) faction, the rival faction NSCN (Khaplang) has paid a "heavy price" for their June 4, 2015 attack on army convoy.

According to sources, in the state government and also with central agencies, at least 530 underground cadres of NSCN-K and 542 'overground' workers were arrested in Manipur and Nagaland following intensive and multi-pronged operations launched after the June 4, 2015 attack on the Army personnel in Manipur.
The dastardly act by NSCN(K) rebels in one of the worst attacks against army personnel in recent years in north east had claimed lives of 18 army personnel. Eleven others were injured when Naga militants had ambushed army convoy in Manipur’s Chandel district. 
Sources further said the intensive operations have yielded results as NSCN(K) has been now much "weakened" and the movement too has been restricted. 
The attack on army convoy was carried out by NSCN(K) after the group had abrogated the ceasefire agreement and walked out from the peace process on March 27, 2015.
The government is, however, maintaining ceasefire with NSCN(IM), with which the peace parleys are said to be at a critical stage.
Elections are due in Nagaland by February 2018 and all eyes are now on the central government and also NSCN(IM) for a formal pact to resolve the long pending issue.
The NSCN-IM, which had joined the peace process in August 1997 during the tenure of I K Gujral as Prime Minister, and the centre had on August 3, 2015 signed a framework agreement.
The framework agreement had, however, remained clouded in controversy as then Congress-ruled Assam and Manipur state governments had opposed it saying they were kept in dark in the entire process.
However, both the states have seen political changes since then and BJP is running the administrations in these two states. 
Elections are also due by February 2018 in two other northeastern states - the CPI-M ruled Tripura and the Congress-ruled Meghalaya. UNI