Eight mine workers were shot in a mistaken ambush by soldiers seeking insurgents, and six protesters died later in clashes with government forces, stoking fears of further violence in the restive region.
Protests and clashes raged on Sunday in northeastern India after 14 civilians were killed by soldiers, one of the deadliest outbursts of violence in recent years in a region long torn by insurgency and ethnic divisions. Eight of the civilians were killed when a truck carrying coal miners returning from work was mistakenly ambushed late Saturday by security forces searching for insurgents in the Tiru area of Nagaland State, along the border with Myanmar, according to local officials. The Indian Army said that the soldiers had been responding to “credible intelligence” reports about the movement of insurgents, who often cross into Myanmar after attacking soldiers. News about the killings spread quickly on social media and prompted residents in the area to attack troops and set two military vehicles on fire. After an Indian soldier was killed during the protests and street fighting, security forces opened fire on crowds, resulting in the killing of five more people on Saturday night.
