New Delhi: An Indian Army team investigating the December 4 botched counter-insurgency operation in Mon district of Nagaland that claimed the lives of 14 civilians visited the site of the incident on Wednesday and collected the required information.

Separately, the Army has agreed to allow the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Nagaland government to take statements of all the army personnel involved in the operation at Oting village, official sources said.

They said the Indian Army is fully cooperating with the SIT ordered by the state government and required details and access are being provided to it in a timely manner.

A statement issued by the army’s Kolkata-headquartered Eastern Command said its Court of Inquiry team headed by a Major General inspected the site to understand the circumstances in which the incident could have happened.

The army said the Court of Inquiry is progressing expeditiously and all efforts are being made to conclude it at the earliest.

The botched operation triggered massive public outcry in Nagaland and a demand to lift the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

Following the incident, the Army ordered the Court of Inquiry headed by a major general posted in the northeastern region.

“The Court of Inquiry constituted by the Indian Army to investigate the Mon incident visited the site at Oting Village on December 29. The inquiry team, headed by a senior rank officer, a Major General, inspected the site to understand the circumstances in which the incident could have happened,” the statement by the Army said.

It said the team also took along the witnesses for a better understanding of the situation and how events would have unfolded.

“Subsequently, the team was also present at Tizit police station in Mon district between 1330 hours to 1500 hours to meet a cross-section of the society to obtain valuable information pertaining to the incident,” the Army said.

It said the Army had twice requested through public notices to share information with it either by meeting the inquiry team at Tizit police station or by providing any input, photo or video related to the incident through phone calls, text messages or WhatsApp messages.

In the statement, the Army said the information may also be shared in person with the inquiry team at Dinjan military station in Assam.

“As per Indian Army, the Court of Inquiry is progressing expeditiously and all efforts are being made to conclude it at the earliest,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Centre has set up a high-level committee to examine the possibility of lifting the controversial AFSPA in the north-eastern state where it has been operational for decades, according to officials.

The AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives immunity to the forces if they shoot someone dead.

The decision to constitute the high-level committee was taken at a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by chief ministers of Nagaland and Assam Neiphiu Rio and Himanta Biswa Sarma respectively on December 23.