Guwahati, April 29 (IANS): Three armed militants belonging to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN Militants) were killed during a fierce encounter with security forces in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Acting on credible intelligence inputs about armed NSCN cadres who had reportedly issued extortion demands to officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a joint search operation was launched by the Assam Police Special Units and Assam Rifles in the forested region under Haflong police station.
The search, which began on Saturday evening, continued for nearly 60 hours. On Monday, security personnel came face to face with the insurgents between the N. Kubin and Hera Kilo areas.
The militants opened fire on the advancing forces, prompting a retaliatory assault that resulted in a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
Following the gunfight, the search teams discovered the bodies of three militants in the dense forest. Authorities are yet to ascertain the exact faction of the NSCN to which the deceased belonged.
Two AK-series rifles and a pistol were seized from the site, and further combing operations remain underway.
The incident comes shortly after another major encounter on April 27, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Longding district, where three NSCN-K-YA militants were gunned down during a coordinated operation by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles.
That operation followed the abduction of two construction workers from Pangchao area on April 25.
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Defence PRO Lt Col Amit Shukla confirmed that one of the abducted workers was rescued during the counter-insurgency action, and four automatic weapons along with ammunition and war-like stores were recovered.
In a related development, security forces recently apprehended a senior NSCN-K-YA operative from Assam’s Charaideo district.
The militant was allegedly behind a recent extortion demand of Rs 20 lakh issued to Oil India Limited (OIL), signed by the group’s self-styled Major Tha Aung.
The notice warned of consequences if the demand was not met by the deadline of December 10.
Oil India operates in the dense Manabhum Reserve Forest of eastern Arunachal Pradesh, an area spanning the districts of Changlang and Namsai—known for insurgent activity.
Notably, the NSCN-K-YA faction has not entered into any ceasefire agreement with the central government.
Security agencies have since heightened vigilance and operations across the Northeast to dismantle insurgent networks and secure vital infrastructure and personnel from militant threats. (Edited)
