A day after an Assam Rifles jawan was killed and four other personnel were injured in a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Nagaland's Chumoukedima district, the Army appealed to the people to not let terror undermine the state's hard-earned peace.
The appeal came as Havildar Mohammad Iqbal of the 28 Assam Rifles Battalion was accorded full military honours at the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School (ARTC&S) at 3rd Mile, Dimapur.
Iqbal, 44, a native of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, was killed on Monday when an IED struck a vehicle, which was part of a convoy of Assam Rifles vehicles.
Director General of Assam Rifles Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera, along with senior Army and Assam Rifles officers, paid their last respects to the soldier in Dimapur.
A defence spokesman said the condition of the four injured Assam Rifles personnel is stable and they are undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Leading the wreath-laying ceremony, Lakhera strongly condemned the attack and said security forces would take all necessary measures to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
Calling the attackers "enemies of Nagaland", Lakhera urged citizens not to allow the incident to derail the peace the state has achieved over the years.
"Peace is the foundation of Nagaland's future and the security of its children," he said, appealing to the public to stand united against attempts to disturb normalcy.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio described the bomb blast in Chumoukedima a "cowardly act." Assuring justice, Rio said "We will not allow such acts to threaten the peace and security of our people."
The bomb blast at Chümoukedima is a cowardly act that has no place in our society. My thoughts and prayers are with eveyone affected. Those responsible will be identified and brought to justice. We will not allow such acts to threaten the peace and security of our people.
— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) July 13, 2026
Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton called the "cowardly bomb blast" in Chumoukedima a "direct attack on the peace and security we cherish."
"Those responsible will be identified and brought to justice. They will face the full force of the law. We will not allow such acts of intimidation to undermine the safety, peace, and stability of the state. Justice will prevail," he wrote in a post on X.
The cowardly bomb blast in Chümoukedima today is a direct attack on the peace and security we cherish. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this senseless act of violence.
— Yanthungo Patton (@YanthungoPatton) July 13, 2026
Those responsible will be identified and brought to justice. They will face the full…
Security forces on Tuesday intensified search operations by deploying additional columns of the Assam Rifles and the Nagaland Police. No terror group has claimed the responsibility for the attack so far.
The dominant Naga insurgent group, the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), has denied any involvement, asserting that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement signed with the Central government and to the ongoing Indo-Naga peace process.
