Kohima, Oct 11: At least one person was killed and another injured in a gunfight between members of two communities in Nagaland’s Kiphire district, police said.
Several houses were also reportedly gutted in the clashes between Tikhir and Yimkhiung communities, they said.
Additional security forces have been deployed in vulnerable areas as the situation remained tense, they added.
Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton, who also holds the Home portfolio, appealed to both communities to maintain calm and cooperate with law enforcement agencies. He said differences could be resolved only through peaceful dialogue.
Police said violence erupted in parts of the district following a dispute over the celebration of a festival by members of the Tikhir community in villages co-inhabited by both communities.
A gunfight broke out at Longtsunger on Saturday, resulting in one death and one injury, they said, adding that properties were reportedly burnt in Zaonger village.
The district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS in parts of Pungro sub-division, citing apprehensions of further escalation and a possible breach of peace.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), the apex tribal body in the region, appealed to all tribes to maintain peace.
ENPO president Chingmak Chang urged the Yimkhiung and Tikhir tribal councils to take urgent steps to stop the violence and work towards restoring normalcy. (PTI)
