Arunachal: Assam Rifles Rescue Two Labourers from NSCN-K in Tirap
In a daring pre-dawn rescue, Assam Rifles troops, with Longding Police, freed two abducted labourers from NSCN-K rebels in Arunachal’s Tirap district after a tense firefight.
ITANAGAR- In a daring early-morning rescue, troops of the Khonsa Battalion, Assam Rifles, in coordination with Longding Police, successfully freed two abducted construction labourers from NSCN-K faction in Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh. The joint operation ended with both hostages unharmed after a brief but intense firefight.
The abduction occurred late on October 18, when 7–8 armed cadres of NSCN-K stormed a road construction site in Laho village, Dadam Circle, near the Indo–Myanmar border.
The victims, employees of M/S Agarwal, were taken hostage amid growing extortion threats to contractors in the insurgency-hit region.
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Acting swiftly on intelligence inputs, Assam Rifles and police teams established ambushes through the night around Ngisa K Nokna and Nginnu K Nokna tracks. At dawn, around 5:50 AM, an advancing column came under heavy fire from concealed militants near Nianu area. A controlled yet fierce firefight ensued, lasting several minutes.
Security forces exercised maximum restraint to ensure the safety of the hostages. The militants, outnumbered and outmaneuvered, fled into the forested terrain, enabling troops to rescue both captives by 7:30 AM. The operation was executed under the Spear Corps, Eastern Command of the Indian Army.
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The rescued labourers were transported to Khonsa, the district headquarters, where they underwent medical and psychological evaluation. Officials confirmed both men were safe, suffering only minor stress-related symptoms.
A senior defence source noted, “The timely and precise response prevented further subversive acts by the faction and reaffirmed Assam Rifles’ dedication to protecting civilians.”
Commanding Officer of Khonsa Battalion lauded his troops’ professionalism: “In a daring joint operation with Longding Police, we ensured zero casualties while rescuing both victims from insurgents’ custody.”
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Security forces have launched follow-up search and sanitization drives in Nianu and adjoining regions to track fleeing insurgents. No arrests have been reported yet, but the area remains under heightened vigilance.
While the rescue marks a morale boost for forces in the Northeast’s troubled frontier, experts caution that deeper political and developmental engagement is vital to permanently end such cycles of violence.
