GUWAHATI: Six militants, believed to be of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN-IM, were killed by a joint team of Assam Rifles and police in a gunfight in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday morning.
Official sources said an Assam Rifles jawan was also injured and was rushed to a military hospital. The incident took place in a forested area in Arunachal’s Longding district near the Nagaland border.
Arunachal Director General of Police (DGP), RP Upadhyaya, confirmed the incident to The New Indian Express.
“There was a specific input that an armed gang of NSCN cadres will move in Longding area to carry out a few kidnappings for extortion and might attack security forces. So, a joint strategy was made between Arunachal Police and Assam Rifles,” Upadhyaya said.
He said the site of the incident was two hours from Longding district headquarters and subsequent 40-minute trek from the nearest village of Nginu.
“When the team reached the spot, there was a heavy exchange of fire. They fired more than 250 rounds. We recovered six weapons including four AK 47 rifles, two grenades and an IED. More than 500 rounds remained unused,” the DGP said.
“The nearby area is a thick forest and we cannot rule out the presence of more cadre and the operation is still on. Longding Superintendent of Police, Commanding Officer of Assam Rifles battalion and Deputy Inspector General of Assam Rifles were at the spot,” he added.
The several factions of the NSCN signed separate ceasefire agreements with the Central government. The territorial limit of the ceasefire is within the state of Nagaland. The NSCN-IM, which is the largest of the rebel groups in the Northeast, has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Centre since 1997 towards finding a solution to the decades-long “Naga political problem”.