Mt Horeb drone strike: NSCN breakaway faction blames India

DIMAPUR – A breakaway Naga armed group on Saturday accused the Indian Army of carrying out a pre-dawn drone strike on its Mt Horeb headquarters in Myanmar this month and appealed to the United Nations to intervene.

In a press statement dated Oct. 24, the “Provisional Government” of the NSCN/GPRN Eastern Flank said the strike took place between 2:40 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 11 and was “undertaken by the Indian Army.” The statement did not give casualty figures or offer evidence for the attribution.

The Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence had not commented publicly on the alleged strike as of Saturday, and Nagaland.News could not independently verify who carried it out. When drone strikes hit ULFA-I camps in Myanmar in July 2025, an army spokesperson said it had “no inputs” about the attack.

“The intent behind this assault was evident to eliminate the sons and daughters of the soil who have stood unwavering for the sovereignty of Nagalim,” said the statement, issued by the group’s Media and Publicity Cell. “Such desperation portrays the weakness of the occupier, not the strength of the patriot.”

The group said its “march towards the restoration of Nagalim sovereignty continues undeterred” and warned that “those responsible shall answer for their actions.”

It appealed to the international community “to confront the terrorism sponsored by the Indian Government in Nagalim” and asked the United Nations “to give serious attention to the situation unfolding in peace-loving Nagalim.” The statement also questioned whether India, which it accused of disregarding international law and human rights, should be considered for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

Conflicting accounts of damage

On the day of the strike, the Eastern Flank said drones dropped about 60 bombs on the camp and destroyed parts of it but injured no one, Northeast Now reported. Another Naga armed group in the area told the outlet it was unclear whether Indian forces or Myanmar’s People’s Defence Forces were responsible.

The Makury Tribal Council later said two of the group’s cadres were injured and that residents saw drones flying from the Indian side, The Morung Express reported on Oct. 17. The council called for an impartial investigation by India and Myanmar. Neither account has been independently confirmed.

The camp lies in Leshi township in Myanmar’s Naga Self-Administered Zone, near the border with India, according to KRC Times.

NSCN-IM denies role

The NSCN-IM, the group from which the Eastern Flank broke away, condemned the Mt Horeb strike and an Oct. 3 drone attack on Langkho village in Myanmar as “indiscriminate and reckless” and called for a “transparent and impartial investigation.” It denied any direct or indirect role, saying “no personnel, equipment or aerial assets under its command or control” had been deployed near the camp, Eastern Mirror reported.

Background

The Eastern Flank declared its provisional government at Mt Horeb camp on July 21, 2026, with Ikato I. Chishi Swu, son of NSCN-IM co-founder Isak Chishi Swu, as chairman, The Morung Express reported. The move followed the NSCN-IM’s expulsion of several senior leaders in June and July. The faction said the “spirit of Cease-fire Agreement has ceased to exist” and vowed to continue “both political as well as armed resistance.”

The NSCN-IM, led by Thuingaleng Muivah, has observed a ceasefire with the Centre since 1997 and signed a Framework Agreement with New Delhi on Aug. 3, 2015. Talks have since stalled, mainly over the group’s demand for a separate Naga flag and constitution. The Eastern Flank accuses the NSCN-IM leadership of accepting a settlement within the Indian Constitution, a charge the parent group has not publicly addressed.

The Oct. 11 strike came four days after India and Myanmar held their third Defence Cooperation Meeting in Guwahati, Northeast Now reported. Also Read NSCN IM Split Confirmed: Eastern Flank Declares Provisional Government

The Eastern Flank’s statement closed with a reference to the Book of Ecclesiastes. “There is a time for everything and a time for every purpose – the Nagas shall not remain under forceful Indian occupation indefinitely,” it said, urging Nagas “to remain resolute, united and uphold our sovereign rights.”