Terrorism-related incidents in Arunchal Pradesh, 2007-2008

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.