The NSCN(K) militants on Sunday attacked an Assam Rifles camp at a remote location in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. However, there is no report of any causality so far. The attack came barely 72 hours after the NSCN(K) militants ambushed an Army convoy in Chandel district of Manipur, killing 18 jawans and injuring 11 others.
Sunday’s incident took place around 2.30 am when about 30 armed cadres of the outfit attacked the Assam Rifles camp at lazu in Tirap district. The alert Assam Rifles personnel retaliated forcing the militants to withdraw without causing any causality.
lazu is located close to Arunachal Pradesh’s International Border with Myanmar. “Our forces were on alert and we had an Intelligence report about the probable attack,” said an AR spokesman while adding that the militants managed to escape.
The recent resurgence of the NSCN(K), particularly after it walked out of the ceasefire agreement with the Indian Government in March this year, has concerned the security agency operating in the troubled North-East region of India.
“The NSCN(K) always had a control over other militant outfits operating in the region. Most of the militants in the North-East use the NSCN(K) camps in Myanmar to train their cadres. They also had a bigger role in ferrying and supplying of arms to other militant outfits,” said a senior official of the Special Branch of the Assam Police while expressing concern over the latest developments in the region.
He said that the International Border is porous in most of the States in the region and the militants had been using this as their advantage to sneak into the other side of the border after carrying out subversive activities in the region. Three districts of Arunachal Pradesh--Tirap, Changlang and longding have a 520 kms of border with Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh Governments have sounded an alert across the States, particularly after the ambush in Chandel on Thursday. While the Manipur has already sealed its border with Myanmar, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has also urged the Centre to take up the issue of a joint operation against the Indian militants with Myanmar.
“The developments are of concern for us. The NSCN (K) or the UNlFW might target Assam as well and it is very easy for them to enter Assam from Tirap and Changlang through the Dhemaji, lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts,” said Additional Director General of Assam Police (Special branch) P Bhattacharya.
He said that that the State had already sounded a high alert and forces are asked to be vigilant against any such attack.