Oting Massacre and the case for repeal of the APSFA

A total of 14 civilians and one Indian Army jawan were killed since the botched up ambush of the Indian Army’s 21st Para Special Forces on the alleged insurgents, who turned out to be innocent coal miners, on 4 December 2021 at Oting village in Mon district of Nagaland.

On 4 December 2021 at about 6.30 pm, Indian Army’s 21st Para Special Forces with its headquarters based at Jorhat, Assam ambushed a ferry van carrying eight coal miners at Oting village in Mon district of Nagaland, killing six miners on the spot while two survived. The security forces had claimed that they had specific inputs on the movement of the insurgents whom they had ambushed. About 30 soldiers and officers of the 21st Para Special Forces were part of the operation.

At about 7.30 pm, several villagers, carrying machetes, arrived at the spot hearing the gunshots, punctured the vehicles of the soldiers and further clashes took place between the civilians and the Indian Army. Seven more civilians and a soldier died. Several civilians and soldiers were also injured in the clashes. At about 10:00 pm on 4 December, the Army personnel involved in the ambush were reportedly taken to Mon town.

This briefing report is published by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR).