Three rebels belonging to the Naga rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah were killed during an encounter with a joint team of Assam Rifles and Assam Police at Hill Haflong near Achik Rabi village in Dima Hasao hill district of Assam on Wednesday morning. One AK-56 rifle, one AK-47 assault rifle, one 9 mm pistol and four grenades, 48 live ammunition, eight mobile phones, demand notes and other incriminating documents were recovered from the encounter site. Police informed that the exchange of fire between the two sites continued for hours.
One more NSCN-IM militant was killed by the Assam Rifles at the forest near Kepelu village under Mahur police station in the hill district following an encounter on Tuesday.
The NSCN-IM militants, who have been engaged in a peace process with the Indian government since 1997 and are bound by a ceasefire agreement, are not allowed to carry weapons outside their designated truce-time camps located inside Nagaland and indulge in any illegal activities. Their presence in Dima Hasao outside Nagaland with weapons is clear violation of ceasefire ground rules.
Security sources suspected that the NSCN-IM rebels were out to create chaos at the proposed construction of broad gauge railway line from Lumding to Silchar that passes through Dima Hasao hill district.
In another counter-insurgency operation carried out at Bongaon forest area along Assam-Bhutan border under Gossaingaon sub-division in Kokrajhar district of Assam, one militant belonging to National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit faction) was killed on Wednesday morning.