An Assam Rifles patrol team came under suspected militant fire near Nampong Nallah in Changlang, killing 42-year-old Havildar Jankhokai Kuki and injuring four personnel.
Security forces launched a search operation after the attack, which occurred near an ongoing India-Myanmar border fencing project.
Preliminary reports have suggested possible NSCN-K-YA involvement, but officials have not confirmed the identity of the attackers.
An Assam Rifles havildar was killed and four personnel were injured after a patrol team came under suspected militant fire near the India-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district on Tuesday, officials said.
The attack took place around 6.30 am near Nampong Nallah under Nampong circle, when personnel from the 21 Assam Rifles were patrolling an area where border fencing work is underway. The slain personnel was identified as 42-year-old Havildar Jangkhokai Kuki.
The four injured personnel were evacuated for medical treatment, while their condition was not immediately known. Additional security forces were rushed to the area and a search operation was launched to track down the suspected attackers.
NSCN-K-YA Link Not Officially Confirmed
Preliminary reports suggested that cadres of the NSCN-K-YA, or Yung Aung faction, may have been behind the attack. However, there was no official confirmation of the group’s involvement.
Changlang Superintendent of Police Kirli Padu said police had received information about the incident and directed the officer-in-charge of Changlang police station to gather further details.
The incident occurred in a sensitive stretch of the India-Myanmar border, where several insurgent groups have operated and where security forces are involved in border infrastructure and surveillance activities
Assam Rifles Pays Tribute To Slain Havildar
The Assam Rifles paid tribute to Kuki, with Director General Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera and personnel of the force expressing condolences to his family. The force described him as having made the “supreme sacrifice” in the line of duty.
The latest attack comes amid continued security operations in the Changlang belt. Security forces have carried out operations against insurgent groups in the region, while fencing and other infrastructure work along the India-Myanmar border has remained a point of sensitivity.
Further details about the attack, including the identity of the assailants and the condition of the injured personnel, are awaited.
(With Agency Inputs)
