Indian security forces killed a protester in the northeastern state of Nagaland on Sunday evening after enraged villagers attacked an army barracks in retaliation for the deaths of more than a dozen civilians.
A big mob gathered outside the army's Assam Rifles camp in the border town of Mon, throwing stones and torching nearby areas.
Fresh violence erupted hours after security forces shot and killed several civilians, mistaking them for rebels, and subsequently shot protesters.
According to reports, protesters burst into the camp and began vandalizing and torching structures.
According to the local news portal Northeast Now, the Assam Rifles post in Mon was severely attacked by a mob of more than 300 residents from various factions.
"The troops of Assam Rifles at the post however maintained a high degree of restraint and fired in the air to disperse the crowd," it claimed.
The Assam Rifles are the country's oldest paramilitary unit, tasked with northeast counterinsurgency operations.
Murder case filed
The state's position remained precarious. Authorities in the district declared an indefinite curfew and suspended mobile internet and data services indefinitely to quell further unrest.
Candlelit marches and vigils were conducted in various regions of Nagaland in sympathy with the gunned-down peasants.
A state police special investigating team has been constituted to investigate the incident. The police investigated the army unit, alleging "intention… to murder."
"It is to be noted that at the time of (the) incident there was no police guide nor security forces did make requisition to (the) police station to provide police guide for their operation," the police report stated, according to NDTV.
"Hence it is obvious that the intention of security forces is to murder and injure civilians."
The state government provided a compensation package of 500,000 rupees ($6,600, €5,880) for each victim's family.
Additionally, it declared that a funeral service for the victims will take place at sundown on Monday and that they will receive "justice as per law of the land."
