Days after clashes between the Karbi and Naga militants led to killing of four Naga villagers, Nagaland Police Saturday said they have discovered a mass grave containing nine bodies – with gunshot wounds – near the state’s commercial hub Dimapur.

One of the nine bodies recovered from the grave found Friday night was identified as of Harlongbi Engty – a Karbi youth, who had remained missing since Dec 28 from his home at Bokajan in Assam’s Karbi Anglong.

Dimapur Superintendent of Police V.Z. Angami said that the bodies have been recovered in highly decomposed condition.

“The bodies, lying in a pile on top of each other, were recovered with their hands tied to their backs,” he said, adding that all the bodies bore clear marks of bullet entry and exit on their skulls.

The bodies were recovered from Pachaspura area, which is located about 13 km Dimapur.

“It seems that the assailants killed the victims by first blindfolding them and shooting them dead from a close range,” a police officer said.

“The bodies were highly decomposed and it appears that the victims have been killed a few days back and then burried,” the officer said.

“At present the bodies have been kept at the morgue of the Dimapur civil hospital for postmortem,” the officer said adding that identification of the bodies will help police crack the case.

Meanwhile, police in Karbi Anglong district said that they are yet to receive an official communication in this regard from their Nagaland counterpart.

“We heard that one person from Bokajan had identified one of the bodies to be of his brother. He said that his brother had gone to Dimapur on Dec 28 and never returned since then. However, we are yet to receive a official communication in this regard from the Nagaland Police,” said Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Mahanta.

  Dimapur, Nagaland Police