12 KILLED IN NSCN FACTIONAL FIGHT IN NAGALAND

Kohima, June 5 (PTI) - At least 12 Naga underground cadre were killed Wednesday in a fierce gunfight between rivalN.S.C.N. groups in Nagaland.

Police said cadre of rival N.S.C.N.-I.M. and G.P.R.N./N.S.C.N., led by S.S. Khaplang, exchanged heavy fire in Seithikima area, about 17 km off Nagaland's commercial town of Dimapur since early morning. The shootout continued forhours.

Police and district administration officials said allthe 12 cadre belonged to G.P.R.N./N.S.C.N. group.

The bodies were retrieved by the activists and taken to nearby Nihoto village and later buried in the presence ofvillagers.

Last month, the same place saw factional clash leading to the death of 14 G.P.R.N./N.S.C.N. cadre. On the same afternoon angry civilians attacked the N.S.C.N.-I.M. ceasefiremonitoring cell office at Diphupar and set it afire.

Nearly 50 people, including civilians, were killed in and around Dimapur in the stepped-up violence by rivalN.S.C.N. groups in the past three months.

Both the state government and locals had asked the militants to vacate civilian populated areas and stay in theirrespective designated camps.