Terrorism-related incidents in Arunchal Pradesh since 2007

2011

• February 24-25: Over 35 cadres of the Isack-Muivah and the Khaplang factions of the NSCN were killed on the night of February 24-25 on the Tirap-Myanmar border cadres in the fierce fighting when a 100-strong armed group, trying to enter Tirap from Myanmar's Sagiang division, were ambushed by the rival Khaplang faction, intelligence reports reaching New Delhi said.

  This was the largest clash in an ongoing conflict between the two groups since December 2010. Both factions are currently in talks with the Centre and have been observing a ceasefire with government forces. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), alarmed at the escalating conflict, wanted the Assam Rifles and the Army to launch an operation to disarm the NSCN cadres of both the factions but so far the Army has resisted the pressure, arguing that these are not banned groups and the clashes should be treated more as a law and order issue than pure insurgency.

• January 19: The special crime branch (Kolkata) of CBI arrested an NSCN-IM cadre, identified as ‘lance corporal’ Kaping Luikham, for his alleged involvement in the murder of former Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) member from Arunachal Pradesh Wangcha Rajkumar, from Imphal, the capital of Manipur.

2010

• December 27: One cadre belonging to the NSCN-IM was injured when about 110 cadres of the rival NSCN-K attacked a post of the NSCN-IM in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh.

• December 22: Three militants belonging to the NDFB-ATF were arrested from Bhalukpung in Arunachal Pradesh. They were suspected to be involved in the killing of eight Hindi-speaking persons in Boimara near Seijusa on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on November 8, 2010. Three 9mm pistols with live ammunition were recovered from them.

• September 4: At least 109 militants of different outfits surrendered in Arunachal Pradesh in the past eight years along with a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, Home Minister Tako Dabi informed the State Legislative Assembly. Most of the militants surrendered in Tirap and Changlang Districts before the Army and Para Military Forces since 2003, he said.

• August 2: At least 37 militants surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Khonsa in Tirap District. They included 23 NSCN-K and seven each from the NSCN-IM and All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA).

• June 15: Three extortionists, linked to an unspecified militant outfit, were attested by the Assam Rifles personnel in two separate search operations in Changlang District. INR 8 00, 000 was recovered from the possession, who were carrying the ransom to deliver to representative of an unspecified armed group in Changlang.

• June 14: Two NSCN-K cadres were arrested by troops during a search operation in the same Changlang District. They were Myanmarese nationals.

• June 13: A new outfit, Arunachal Naga Liberation Front (ANLF), has emerged in the Tirap District in May 2010. The NSCN-IM has already been active in the District. The NSCN-K also brought in heavily-armed members of Myanmar-based outfit KIA to gain an upper hand over its rival group in December 2009.

  Confirming the launch of the ANLF in the Paniduria area of Tirap in May, a Police source said that the outfit was holding a training camp in the District under the supervision of a self-styled ‘sergeant major’ who was a former cadre of the NSCN-IM. Source said.

• May 29: Two NSCN-K cadres were arrested in a joint operation by a combined force of the CRPF, the Army and Deomali Police in Tirap District.

• May 27: A NDFB militant, Rahul Brahma, one of the accused in the serial blasts on October 30, 2008, was arrested by the CBI at Ziro in Lower Subansiri District.

• May 24: Three NSCN-IM cadres were arrested by Assam Rifles and Police, including self-styled ‘sergeant major’ Athot, and four linkmen in an operation at Khonsa in Tirap District.

• May 12: Suspected NDFB militants abducted an Indian Forest Service (IFS) official of the Maharashtra cadre, V.S. Bardekar, from Daimara village in West Kameng District. He was on a private visit to Arunachal Pradesh when he was abducted.

• April 4: Noklem Wansu, a hardcore cadre of the NSCN-K operating in Longding sub-division of Tirap District, was arrested by the Assam Rifles from Longding market in Tirap District.

• March 31: Twelve NSCN militants, including a woman cadre, surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Khonsa in Tirap District.

• February 7: A NSCN-K militant was arrested by the SFs, after an encounter at Longding sub-divisional headquarters in Tirap District. One Police officer was injured in the exchange of fire.

  A NSCN-IM militant, was arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel at Khonsa in Tirap. He was a prime suspect in the killing of Wangcha Rajkumar, former Parliamentarian of the Congress party, at Deomali in Tirap in December 2007.

• January 17: Assam Rifles personnel arrested a NSCN-IM cadre during a search operation in Tirap District.

2009

• December 13: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has alleged that 18 youths, aged between 18 and 23, were recruited by the NSCN-K from Pongchau circle in Tirap District on November 19. Of the 18 reported recruits, 16 were from Pongchau village while two others belonged to Bonia village under Pongchau circle.

• December 1: Nagaland Post quoting UNI sources reports that 14 youths were abducted from Ninu village under Wakka Circle of Tirap District in November 2009 by the NSCN-IM, as part of its ongoing recruitment drive. However, according to another source, a local man of Ninu Village, suspected to be an NSCN-IM cadre, has reportedly recruited 16 youths from the village, besides two from Longsom, three from Bera and one from Konsa in the District, with a target to recruit 50 youths from Khonsa, Longding and Kanubari Circles. The report adds that the District administration is, however, not sure whether the youths had been abducted or they voluntarily joined the outfit. Moreover, they are also resorting to extortion and have employed some locals for the purpose, the sources claimed, adding these were violation of the cease-fire ground rules, the report said.

• October 30: The manager of a road construction company is abducted by around seven suspected NDFB militants at Sereng under Nari Police Station in West Siang District along the Arunachal Pradesh-Assam border.

• October 20: The arrest of five youths by West Siang District Police from Aalo has exposed the designs of NSCN-IM to rejuvenate the National Liberation Council of Taniland outfit by supplying arms to trained youths from Arunachal Pradesh.

• October 12: The Nationalist Congress Party's State unit president and former Home Minister Lowangcha Wanglat said that one self-styled NSCN-IM area 'commander' threatened of killing him if he ventured into Shoha near Deomali under Namsang Assembly constituency of Tirap District to campaign for his party candidate, Wanglong Rajkumar.

• October 11: Suspected NSCN-IM militants abduct 16 activists of the Congress party from Tirap District, fanning fears in the area ahead of Assembly elections in the State on October 13. Sources said armed militants entered Chanu, Longsam and Chattong villages under Kanubari circle in two groups, abducted 16 Congress activists, including the party's block president Abu Wangpan, at gunpoint and took them away to Mon District in the neighbouring State of Nagaland. The report adds that on October 3, the NSCN-IM militants had abducted five Congressmen, including the village chief, from Langhua Basti in Kanubari and taken them to Lakhunbasti in Nagaland. All the five were "released" on October 11 and returned to their respective families.

• October 5: A NSCN-IM cadre, Jupha Sungam, is arrested by the troop from Zedua village in Tirap District. He confesses during his interrogation that he met Panthai, 'town commander' of the NSCN-IM, at Longding and handed over a pistol to him. Later, the self-styled 'town commander' moved to carry out extortion in the area. Interrogation also reveals that the NSCN factions were trying to influence the outcome of Assembly elections scheduled to be held in Arunachal Pradesh on October 13.

  The Assam Riffles personnel arrest two NSCN-IM cadres from Pongchau area in Tirap District. One 9-mm pistol with 20 rounds of bullets and one single-barrel gun with 66 rounds of ammunition are recovered from their possession. Police sources said that two NSCN-IM cadres had infiltrated in civil dress with an intention of disrupting the Assembly polls.

• October 4: A NSCN-IM cadre is arrested by the troops from Zedua village of Longding circle in Tirap District.

  September 21: 28 militants from various outfits surrender at Assam Rifles battalion headquarters in Khonsa of Tirap District. The militants deposit a large cache of arms and ammunition.

• September 3: The Security Force personnel recover a cache of explosives from the Hatiduar reserve forest of Lohit District. The seizure includes five detonators, 26 kilograms of improvised explosive device and packets of explosives.

• August 24: Two NSCN-IM linkmen, Joshua Ngobang and Samchang Wangsu, are arrested by the Police from a hotel in capital Itanagar, for trying to extort money from three politicians in Tirap District. Police have reportedly arrested them after the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Minister Newlai Tingkhatra has tipped it off about the NSCN-IM linkmen taking money from him. The duo has also extorted money from a Legislator belonging to the Congress party, Kamthok Lowang, and another politician from the District, Anok Wangsa of the Naga People's Front. Each of them is asked to pay INR 500, 000. The report adds that Naga militant outfits are targeting politicians from the Naga-dominated Tirap and Changlang Districts for extortion as the Legislative Assembly elections are drawing nearer.

• July 8: A senior official of a retail chain was seriously injured in an attack by armed militants at Maxmart Guest house in capital Itanagar. Police sources said four armed militants intruded into the Maxmart Guest house in the morning and started firing on Mukesh Choudhury, local manager of the Maxmart shopping mall chain, seriously injuring him.

• April 25: The ULFA has started extorting money from traders in Arunachal Pradesh. The State Police said that two cadres of ULFA's 28 battalion, Ghanakanta Saikia and Deepak Bhuyan, were arrested from Bihpuria in Assam's Lakhimpur District on April 24, for serving an extortion notice for INR one million to a trader at Banderdewa in Arunachal Pradesh last week and intimidating him. They were remanded to Police custody for 14 days by a local magistrate next day.

• March 19: Two NSCN-IM militants are killed and three other injured during an internecine clash with the rival NSCN-K cadres at Lapnam village in the Tirap District. The Assistant Superintendent of Police in Tirap District, A.K. Ojha, says about 50 armed cadres of the NSCN-IM carried out a sudden attack on the NSCN-K hideouts. "The gunbattle, which continued for an hour and left two NSCN (I-M) cadres dead and three injured, was pre-planned," he adds. Ojha says a Police team which visited the spot could not trace the dead bodies, which are believed to have been taken away by the outfit.

  Another Police official in Tirap District has said three NSCN-K cadres were killed and three of them injured during the clash at Lapnam. According to him, the NSCN-IM, which is dominant in the Tirap District, has been facing a tough challenge from its rival group in recent months. He says the NSCN-K has been able to establish its grip in the area with the help of the ULFA and the UNLF.

• March 13: Two NSCN-IM militants and a cadre of the rival NSCN-K are killed in two separate factional clashes in the Tirap District. The report added that the ULFA and the NSCN-K are holding joint training sessions in the hilly interiors of Tirap District to win the "turf war" over the NSCN-IM.

• March 12: At least four militants are killed during a clash between the combined cadres of the NSCN-K, UNLF and ULFA on one side and the NSCN-IM on the other in the Tirap District. Two slain militants are from the NSCN-IM and the other two were the combined group of the three militant outfits.

2008

• December 1: At least 14 youths were abducted by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) cadres from the Ninu village under Wakka circle of Tirap District in Arunachal Pradesh in November 2008, as part of its ongoing recruitment drive. The report added that a local man of Ninu village, suspected to be a NSCN-IM cadre, had recruited 16 youths from the village, besides two from Longsom area, three from Bera area and one from Konsa area in the District, with a target to recruit 50 youths from Khonsa, Longding and Kanubari circles.

• August 29: The Arunachal Pradesh Police arrest four persons, including a 'major' of the NSCN-IM for running an extortion racket in the capital Itanagar. They are identified as Nokngam Wangsa, the NSCN-IM 'major', Wangnam Nokte, a former Assam Regiment trooper, Janlung Wangpan and Oyar Panor, a peon at the civil secretariat in Itanagar. Panor, a local resident, used to act as a linkman in the extortion racket. Police also recover INR 110000 from Nokte, besides two mobile phone sets. Wangsa has contacted Panor, who accompanied him to the house of a former Minister, on August 27 and August 28, 2008 and demanded money.

• June 17: Two militants of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed during an encounter with Army personnel at Bandarkhati Khamti village in the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh. One pistol, a revolver and an IED weighing ten kilograms were recovered from them.

• May 22: A top ULFA leader, identified as Suren Borah alias Baba Sonowal, was arrested by the Army from Pasighat in the East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. Borah was functioning as an important part in the outfit's operation in Arunachal Pradesh as 'company commander' of the Charlie Company of the outfit's 28th Battalion. According to Army sources, "Bora was responsible mainly for providing logistical support to the members of the outfit who use Arunachal Pradesh as a major corridor for launching operations in Upper Assam." The sources also added that, "He used to ferry all articles for the cadres of the outfit. Arms, camp materials, clothes, food, medicines; you name it and he used to arrange it." Borah who was a constable in Assam Police was first arrested in 1992 for storing arms for ULFA. He was released later but he did not come back to join the Police force. Instead, he joined ULFA and went underground.

• April 21: Nagaland Post quoting Government sources reports that a Unified Command Structure would be set up in Arunachal Pradesh to combat militants from neighbouring Assam and Nagaland who are using the mountainous region as a base to carry out their hit-and-run guerrilla strikes. Militant groups like the ULFA are reportedly setting up well-entrenched bases in the Tirap, Changlang, and Lohit districts. "The Unified Command that is likely to be initiated would be similar to the one currently operational in Assam," an unnamed senior official says. "The ULFA is not only setting up bases in the state but also using Arunachal Pradesh as a transit to Myanmar. We cannot allow our State to be used by militants from other states for anti-national activities," he states. One police official says, "Extortion and kidnappings are common place in parts of Tirap and Changlang districts by the NSCN. The area is gradually becoming a lawless region." Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu had earlier said that the NSCN-K was on a recruitment drive in the State and abducted more than 50 local tribal youths to join the outfit. "These are serious issues and we cannot allow our peaceful state to be vitiated," he says. The report adds that while the overall head of the Unified Command would be Chief Minister Khandu, general officer commanding of the army's Four Corps based in Assam's northern town of Tezpur Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal would command the operations.

• March 31: Army recovers US $100000 from a ULFA hideout at Mimi zone of Manabhum reserve forest. "The Ulfa militants managed to escape with their weapons taking advantage of the darkness, but our troops found the bag containing the cash," Colonel Harbir Singh, Commanding Officer of 11 Sikh Light Infantry, says.

• January 27: Police arrest Tikhon Mossang, an 'assistant section officer' of the NSCN-IM, while playing cards with a government employee in the residence of Tingpong Wangham, former Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, at Senki park in the capital Itanagar. Mossang has served extortion notices to several Ministers, high-ranking government officials and politicians.

2007

• December 26: Two National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) cadres, M.B. Singh alias Cobra and Changen Akhom, were arrested under Deomali Police station in the Tirap District.

• November 28: One civilian, identified as Tultul Shah, was killed and 14 others injured in a bomb attack by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants at Bordumsa in the Changlang District.

• November 23: Army personnel in a counter-insurgency operation shot dead one 'sergeant major' of the ULFA, Lambu Moran alias Suren Moran, at Manabhum Reserve Forest under Dayon Police station in the Lohit District. One pistol, four live rounds of ammunition and six detonators were recovered from the slain militant. Lambu hailed from Mohong village under Pengeree Police station in the Tinsukia District of Assam.

• November 12: Five women were injured in an internecine clash between the NSCN-IM and the rival National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Khaplang (NSCN-K) at Lazu village in the Tirap District. The five women were identified as Potoi Moinyak, Ngayum Hato, Pojen Wotey, Ngana Matchang and Nyamo Wotey.

• November 11: A self-styled 'corporal' of the 28th battalion of the ULFA, identified as Utpal Bora, was killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) at Mahadevpur area in the Lohit District. One 9-mm pistol and four rounds of ammunition were recovered from his possession.

• October 29: Two ULFA cadres, Nitul Sonowal and Muleswar Sonowal, were killed in an encounter with the SFs at Rangoli village in the Lohit District. The slain militants hailed from the Dibrugarh District in Assam.

• October 25: Three Assam Rifles (AR) personnel and a civilian were killed and eight persons injured in an ambush by the NSCN-IM militants in a remote jungle in the Tirap District. The victims were identified as Mohan Singh, S. K. Tiwari and Lowang and civilian contractor Mukesh Srivastava. Defence sources said that the militants targeted the AR commanding officer and three vehicles moving from Kunsa to Panchu by exploding a powerful Improvise Explosive Device. Sources added that the NSCN-IM carried out the ambush in retaliation to Operation Orchid, launched by the AR in the District to flush out the group.

• October 19: SFs arrested one ULFA cadre of the 28^th battalion, Dhajen Gogoi alias Ranjan Gogoi, from Manbhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit District.

• October 16: One senior cadre of the 28th battalion of the ULFA, Pranjal Saikia alias Hiren Hazarika, surrendered to the SFs at Teju in the Lohit District. Saikia hails from Doomdooma in the Tinsukia District of Assam and had joined the outfit in 1990.

• September 19: Police arrested Ranu Das alias Gita Gogoi, wife of the Myanmar-based ULFA cadre Dipen Das, along with her 14-month-old child, from Naharlagun in the Papum Pare District. Several compact discs and incriminating documents were recovered from the house in capital Itanagar, where she was staying. The house was rented by Purabi, wife of Prabal Neog, who was arrested from Tezpur town in Assam on September 16.

• September 11: The dead body of an unidentified ULFA cadre of the 28^th battalion was recovered from the Manabhum reserve forest in the Lohit District. Sources said that the militant had died of malaria.

• August 20: A ULFA militant, Ananta Gogoi, was assaulted by local people of Chakma Basti near Chowkham in the Lohit District after he and his associates demanded a ransom of INR 1000000 from a shopkeeper.

• August 17: An ULFA militant was killed and a transit camp of the outfit inside the Manabhum reserve forest in the Changlang District was neutralised.

• June 18: Rudra Bora alias Bikram Bora, 'second lieutenant' of ULFA's 709 battalion, was killed in an Army operation at Modai Ghat in the Changlang District.

• June 8: SFs launched a major military operation against the ULFA in Arunachal Pradesh. Army sources said the operation has been launched to flush out and arrest ULFA cadres taking shelter at the Namdapha Reserve Forest in the Changlang District. A large battalion-sized force, exclusively trained for jungle and counter-insurgency operations reportedly took part in the crackdown.

• May 18: A NSCN-IM cadre, identified as Taichat Wangpan alias Thomas, was arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel from Longding market in the Tirap District. Subsequent to his arrest, he was shot at and injured by the AR personnel as he tried to snatch a rifle from a soldier. He succumbed to his injuries later.

• April 25: Four SF personnel were injured in a ULFA-triggered bomb explosion at Medo in the Lohit District. Army sources said ULFA militants triggered an explosion when a two-vehicle convoy of the Army's 581 light regiment were on a routine patrol in the area, adjoining Manabhum forest, where a major flush-out operation against ULFA is on for the past several months.

• April 10: SFs killed seven top ULFA militants, including two women cadres, identified as 'corporal' Rituparna Davidar alias Rishab Bora, 'Lt. corporal' Lily Moran, 'corporal' Jayanta Sonowal, Binanda Tsering, Prafulla Hazarika alias Brajen Sarma and Papu Gohain alias Himadri Gohain alias Moina Gohain at Tikoribam in the Lohit District along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

• March 30: SFs killed two ULFA cadres, identified as Himeswar Borsaikia alias Rameshwar Borsikia and Papu Moran, at Manabhum Reserve Forest in the Changlang District.

• February 19: A NSCN-K cadre, Vijai Chakma, surrendered at Chowkham in the Lohit District.

• February 14: A ULFA militant, Kabin Moran, was killed in an encounter with the SFs at Inthang village near Manabhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit District. Three other militants, including one injured during the encounter, managed to escape from the incident site.

• February 7: SFs recovered 75 kilograms of TNT from the NSCN-K militants in the Saching village of Changlang District. While the NSCN-K claimed that two SF personnel and a 'sergeant major' were killed during the raid, SF sources said that the casualties among the militants could be higher.

• January 17: A ULFA linkman, Shankar Chakma, was arrested by SF personnel while neutralizing two camps run by the outfit by at Monobhum reserve forest in the Tirap District. Books showing location of top ULFA leaders, medicines, clothes and rations were recovered from the camps.

• January 14: Two ULFA militants were arrested during a search operation in the Changlang District.

  A ULFA militant, Jaan Bhuyan alias Jim Chowdang, surrendered before Assam Rifles at Jairampur in the Changlang District. He deposited an AK-series rifle, a sub-machine gun and explosives. Bhuyan confessed that at least 60 ULFA cadres were currently undergoing training in Myanmar under the guidance of the NSCN-K.

• January 13: Two militants belonging to the NSCN-K and ULFA respectively surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Jairampur. They had reportedly fled from their respective camps in Myanmar.

  Army claims to have arrested an ULFA sympathiser, identified as Mutlib Ali, near Santipur in Lower Dibang Valley District.

• January 10: A joint counter-insurgency operation was launched by the Army, Assam Rifles, Arunachal Pradesh Police and Assam Police targeting the ULFA militants taking shelter in the forest areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

Source: Compiled from English language media sources.