One jawan killed, another injured in militant attack in Arunachal Pradesh

One Assam Rifles jawan was killed and another injured on Sunday after a group of suspected militants attacked Assam Rifles jawans in a water tanker in Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh, which is used as a transit route by militant groups in the Northeast to reach their hideouts in neighbouring Myanmar.

The incident took place at Tengmo village under Jairampur police station in Changland district, about 300-km from capital Itanagar, sharing a border with Myanmar.

Security officials said the jawans were caught unaware as militants lobbed grenades and sprayed bullets at their water tanker at around 9.40 am. The injured jawan was rushed to a military hospital while a massive combing operation was launched against the militants.

Although no rebel group has claimed responsibility, members of Ulfa (Independent) and Yung Aung faction of NSCN-K is suspected to be behind the attack.

Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, which shares the porous borders with Myanmar are still under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1987, that gives sweeping powers to security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations. On July 11 this year, security forces had killed six cadres of NSCN-IM in Longding district.

In May last year, militants had killed former Arunachal Pradesh MLA, Tirong Aboh and 10 others in Tirap district.