Kohima, June 26: The Konyak Union has stepped up its offensive over the Tobu issue, accusing the village guards, as well as the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) and the Chang Public Organisation (CKS), of being ?directly involved? in the abduction and killing of four persons on June 7.

The union reacted to the NSCN (I-M)?s stand when the outfit rubbished allegations of its involvement in the incident. Out of 11 hostages, five were released.

The union has said the five persons claimed that they were taken to Yali village in Tuensang district, where they were handed over to the village guards.

They were kept tied and then beaten up, the union alleged.

Reacting to the allegations against the village guards, the institution?s commander and additional chief secretary T.N. Mannen described the allegations as ?irresponsible?.

The Nagaland government has appointed village guards in all the state?s villages, given them uniforms and armed them with guns.

They are considered the primary sources of information of all crimes that take place in villages.

?There is no point in inquiring into the allegations as we know what had happened. Had it not been for the Chang tribe village guards, the five hostages may not have been rescued,? argued Mannen.

The abduction and killings were the fallout of bitter rivalry between the Changs and Konyaks for control of Tobu area.

Konyak Union president Tingnei Konyak alleged that two of the abductors were NSCN (I-M) activists.

He also alleged that the abductors, who belonged to the Chang-dominated ?Self-Defence Force?, had acted on the instructions of the Chang Khulie Setsang.

However, the Konyak Union has also come under fire for admitting that it knew about the landmines which took the life of a police havildar, Tongpangkokba, last week.

?For Konyaks, planting of landmines is the only means to thwart the illegal infiltration of armed terrorists into Konyak territory. This is both to save the public and the soldiers,? a union release said.

The union also justified the planting of mines and scotched criticism, saying that the rival Changs did not spare even policemen.

The Konyak Union, however, lauded the ?sacrifice? of the policeman who was slain in the mine blast.