India, Arunachal Pradesh: Border Instability
On March 26, 2026, three personnel of the Assam Rifles (AR) were reportedly killed in an attack by militants belonging to the Yung Aung faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K-YA) along the Namgoi-Pangsau Road near the Indo-Myanmar border in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh. According to reports, militants targeted a construction team of the 10th Assam Rifles that was engaged in building a border fence in the area. In a subsequent statement, the 'Ministry of Information and Publicity' (MIP) of NSCN-K-YA claimed responsibility, asserting that its 'Naga Army Tactical Unit' carried out the attack in response to protests by Naga groups against what it described as the "illegal" fencing of the Indo-Myanmar boundary by the Government of India (Gol). The group warned that any continuation of such construction would invite resistance from Naga groups operating on both sides of the border. The incident highlights the continuing volatility of the Tirap- Changlang-Longding (TCL) region and the sensitivity of infrastructure development projects in insurgency-affected border areas.
Earlier in the year, on January 26, 2026, an Assam Rifles camp in the Changlang District had come under attack from militants suspected to be associated with NSCN-K-YA. The attack occurred at the Ranglom/Ranglum Company Operating Base of the 4th Battalion of the Assam Rifles, located approximately 10 kilometres from the Changlang District Headquarters near the India-Myanmar border. Militants reportedly opened fire from two directions, alleging harassment of civilians by Security Forces (SFS) as the reason for their assault. Assam Rifles personnel retaliated effectively, following which SFS launched search and cordon operations in the surrounding areas. No casualties were reported in the incident.
The year 2025 had also witnessed sporadic militant attacks in the State. On October 16, 2025, suspected NSCN-K-YA militants and the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-1) attacked an Assam Rifles camp at Hatman village in the Manmao area of Changlang District. At least four Assam Rifles personnel were injured in the attack, including Rifleman Harisharan and Rifleman Rahul Bora. SFS responded with retaliatory fire and launched search operations in the area to track down the attackers.
Another incident occurred on August 9, 2025, when suspected ULFA-I and NSCN militants fired approximately 25 rounds at an Assam Rifles camp at Noglo under the Lazu Police Station in Tirap District. Assam Rifles personnel responded with light machine gun fire, forcing the militants to retreat. No casualties were reported.
SFs recorded some operational successes during the year. On October 21, 2025, an ULFA-I militant identified as Iwan Axom alias Konti Axom alias Abhikeshwar Moran was killed in an encounter with SFS in the 6 Mile area under Namsai Police Station in Namsai District. Reports indicated that the militant was part of a group of around seven ULFA-I cadres operating in the area. Following the encounter, SFS recovered an HK rifle, a hand grenade and other materials.
On July 6, 2025, a suspected NSCN-K-YA cadre was killed during an encounter with Assam Rifles personnel near the Indo-Myanmar border between Khogla and Lyangche villages in Longding District. The incident occurred when a patrol team of the Khonsa Battalion of Assam Rifles came under heavy fire from militants concealed in the dense jungle terrain. After the exchange of fire, troops conducted a search operation and discovered a temporary insurgent hideout, from where arms, ammunition and other military-grade supplies were recovered.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), three fatalities (all SF personnel) have been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh in 2026 (data till April 5, 2026), all resulting from the March 26 attack. In 2025, seven fatalities (all militants) were recorded in four separate incidents. In 2024, a single militant fatality was recorded. Since March 6, 2000, when SATP began compiling data, Arunachal Pradesh has recorded a total of 255 fatalities in insurgency-related incidents, including 183 militants, 41 SF personnel and 31 civilians, across 124 incidents. These figures indicate that, although the intensity of violence remains relatively low compared to earlier years, militant activity continues to persist in specific pockets of the State.
Alongside militant violence, the surrender of insurgents has remained an important indicator of the State's counter-insurgency efforts. On April 3, 2026, a ULFA-I cadre Jintu Gogoi alias Arun Asom (23) surrendered before SFS in the Khonsa area in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh. One 7 65 mm pistol with magazine and 10 rounds of 7.65 mm live ammunition were recovered during the surrender.
On March 30, 2026, a National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) cadre, Jungron Chena (30), surrendered before SFS in Changlang District. During the surrender, he handed over a 32 mm pistol, a magazine and five live cartridges. According to police officials, Chena had initially joined the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Reformation (NSCN-R) in 2015, before switching allegiance to NSCN-IM in 2022.
Earlier, on March 3, 2026, a ULFA-I cadre identified as 'second lieutenant' Bitul Baruah (32) surrendered before SFS in the Horu Chinghan area of Khonsa in Tirap District. Baruah also surrendered a 40 calibre pistol with a magazine and two rounds of ammunition. On February 15, 2026, an active cadre of the Akato Chophy-led Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-Akato), 'sergeant Inno Mosha Pangsa alias Chang (23), surrendered before the Assam Rifles in Khonsa town in Tirap District. The surrendered militant handed over a 32 calibre pistol, ammunition, a walkie-talkie set and other items.
Similarly, on February 10, 2026, a cadre belonging to the Khango Konyak-led NSCN-K faction, identified as 'lieutenant' Wangkhu Lowang (32), surrendered before security forces in Tirap District, handing over a 7.65 mm pistol and ammunition.
The State Home Department informed the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 9, 2026, that a total of 165 underground operatives belonging to various militant groups had surrendered in TCL over the preceding five years. Among these, 77 surrendered in Longding, 47 in Tirap and 41 in Changlang. Many of the surrendered militants are currently undergoing vocational training at a rehabilitation camp established at Bhismaknagar in Lower Dibang Valley District.
In 2026 so far, eight militants have surrendered in eight separate incidents, including three from NSCN- K, two from ULFA-I and one each from NSCN, NSCN-R and NSCN-IM. In 2025, 12 militants surrendered in eight incidents, while four militants surrendered in three incidents in 2024. Since 2000, a total of 233 militants has surrendered in 86 incidents in the State, reflecting a gradual but consistent trend of militants returning to the mainstream.
Four militants were arrested in three separate incidents in 2026, while 25 militants were arrested in 14 separate incidents across the State in 2025. In 2024, a total of 23 insurgents were arrested in 11 separate incidents. Since 2000, 777 militants have been arrested in 438 separate incidents in Arunachal Pradesh.
Despite the relatively limited scale of violence, extortion by militant groups remains a persistent problem in Arunachal Pradesh. On February 10, 2026, NSCN-K-YA reportedly issued an extortion demand to the Public Works Department (PWD) in Longding District, seeking 20 per cent "service and income tax" for the year 2026. The letter warned officials of consequences if the payment was not made. Security agencies believe that such extortion demands are often issued, either by local operatives or by the outfit's central leadership operating from bases across the Indo-Myanmar border.
The security environment in Arunachal Pradesh has also been affected by espionage-related activities. On December 11, 2025, Arunachal Pradesh Police arrested two persons, Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, both residents of Kupwara District in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), at Itanagar, on charges of espionage and links with Pakistan-based handlers. Malik was reportedly detained following actionable intelligence indicating that he had been collecting and transmitting sensitive information regarding Army and paramilitary deployments through encrypted Telegram channels. Investigators also alleged that he had received instructions to carry out sabotage activities such as arson and placing explosives.
Subsequent investigations led to additional arrests. On December 12, 2025, another two persons, including Hilal Ahmed from Kupwara District, were arrested at Aalo in West Siang District, and in Miao in Changlang District, for allegedly sharing sensitive security-related information with Pakistani handlers. Later, on December 18, 2025, another two suspects from Kupwara District - Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai - were arrested in connection with the espionage network. The arrestsindicated the presence of a wider intelligence-gathering network attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in the strategically sensitive border State.
Militant groups in the region have also continued to resort to abductions as part of their extortion strategy. On November 27, 2025, a businessman identified as Vijay Shankar Aggarwal and an elected Panchayat member, B. Lamati, were reportedly abducted by militants belonging to the Ang Mai-led NSCN-K faction from the Lazu area of Tirap District. The victims were reportedly taken across the Indo- Myanmar border while delivering ransom money linked to an earlier extortion demand. The outfit had initially demanded INR 2.5 million from Aggarwal and later increased the demand to INR 20 million.
Another abduction incident occurred on October 18, 2025, when two labourers working on a road construction project in Lahu village in Tirap District were abducted by NSCN-K militants. Acting on intelligence inputs, Assam Rifles and Longding Police launched an operation and rescued the two hostages on October 19, after a brief exchange of fire with the militants.
The persistence of such incidents reflects the continued influence of insurgent groups operating along the Indo-Myanmar border, particularly in the TCL districts. As noted in earlier assessments, the TCL region remains the principal theatre of insurgent activity in Arunachal Pradesh. These districts serve as a corridor for militant groups operating across the Northeast, including organisations based in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur. The proximity of militant camps located in Myanmar's Sagaing Region further complicates counter-insurgency operations and enables insurgents to evade SFS by exploiting the porous international border.
According to SATP data, the TCL region has accounted for the majority of insurgency-related fatalities in the State since 2000. Of the total 255 fatalities recorded during this period, 198 occurred in the TCL Districts, underscoring their continued strategic significance in the regional insurgency landscape. This means that approximately 77 percent of all insurgency-related fatalities in the State since 2000 have taken place in the TCL districts, highlighting the area's persistent role as the epicentre of militant activity.
The broader ideological context of insurgency in Arunachal Pradesh is closely linked to the Naga nationalist movement and the demand for a sovereign "Nagalim," which seeks to integrate Naga- inhabited areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and parts of Myanmar. Militant groups such as NSCN-IM and NSCN-K factions continue to pursue these objectives, though the intensity of their activities in Arunachal Pradesh has fluctuated over the years.
Given the persistence of insurgent activity in the TCL region, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) continues to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the sensitive areas of the State. On September 26, 2025, UMHA extended AFSPA for another six months in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, as well as in areas under the Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham Police Stations in Namsai District bordering Assam. The extension reflects the Government's assessment that security conditions in these areas continue to warrant the deployment of armed forces with special operational powers.
Overall, while the level of insurgent violence in Arunachal Pradesh remains relatively low compared to earlier phases of the conflict, the persistence of militant activity, extortion networks, cross-border safe havens and sporadic attacks on SFS underscores the fragile security environment in the State. The TCL region, in particular, continues to function as a critical corridor for insurgent groups operating in India's Northeast. Sustained counter-insurgency operations, improved border management and effective rehabilitation policies for surrendered militants remain essential for consolidating long-term stability in the region.
Author: Afsara Shaheen Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
Earlier in the year, on January 26, 2026, an Assam Rifles camp in the Changlang District had come under attack from militants suspected to be associated with NSCN-K-YA. The attack occurred at the Ranglom/Ranglum Company Operating Base of the 4th Battalion of the Assam Rifles, located approximately 10 kilometres from the Changlang District Headquarters near the India-Myanmar border. Militants reportedly opened fire from two directions, alleging harassment of civilians by Security Forces (SFS) as the reason for their assault. Assam Rifles personnel retaliated effectively, following which SFS launched search and cordon operations in the surrounding areas. No casualties were reported in the incident.
The year 2025 had also witnessed sporadic militant attacks in the State. On October 16, 2025, suspected NSCN-K-YA militants and the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-1) attacked an Assam Rifles camp at Hatman village in the Manmao area of Changlang District. At least four Assam Rifles personnel were injured in the attack, including Rifleman Harisharan and Rifleman Rahul Bora. SFS responded with retaliatory fire and launched search operations in the area to track down the attackers.
Another incident occurred on August 9, 2025, when suspected ULFA-I and NSCN militants fired approximately 25 rounds at an Assam Rifles camp at Noglo under the Lazu Police Station in Tirap District. Assam Rifles personnel responded with light machine gun fire, forcing the militants to retreat. No casualties were reported.
SFs recorded some operational successes during the year. On October 21, 2025, an ULFA-I militant identified as Iwan Axom alias Konti Axom alias Abhikeshwar Moran was killed in an encounter with SFS in the 6 Mile area under Namsai Police Station in Namsai District. Reports indicated that the militant was part of a group of around seven ULFA-I cadres operating in the area. Following the encounter, SFS recovered an HK rifle, a hand grenade and other materials.
On July 6, 2025, a suspected NSCN-K-YA cadre was killed during an encounter with Assam Rifles personnel near the Indo-Myanmar border between Khogla and Lyangche villages in Longding District. The incident occurred when a patrol team of the Khonsa Battalion of Assam Rifles came under heavy fire from militants concealed in the dense jungle terrain. After the exchange of fire, troops conducted a search operation and discovered a temporary insurgent hideout, from where arms, ammunition and other military-grade supplies were recovered.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), three fatalities (all SF personnel) have been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh in 2026 (data till April 5, 2026), all resulting from the March 26 attack. In 2025, seven fatalities (all militants) were recorded in four separate incidents. In 2024, a single militant fatality was recorded. Since March 6, 2000, when SATP began compiling data, Arunachal Pradesh has recorded a total of 255 fatalities in insurgency-related incidents, including 183 militants, 41 SF personnel and 31 civilians, across 124 incidents. These figures indicate that, although the intensity of violence remains relatively low compared to earlier years, militant activity continues to persist in specific pockets of the State.
Alongside militant violence, the surrender of insurgents has remained an important indicator of the State's counter-insurgency efforts. On April 3, 2026, a ULFA-I cadre Jintu Gogoi alias Arun Asom (23) surrendered before SFS in the Khonsa area in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh. One 7 65 mm pistol with magazine and 10 rounds of 7.65 mm live ammunition were recovered during the surrender.
On March 30, 2026, a National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) cadre, Jungron Chena (30), surrendered before SFS in Changlang District. During the surrender, he handed over a 32 mm pistol, a magazine and five live cartridges. According to police officials, Chena had initially joined the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Reformation (NSCN-R) in 2015, before switching allegiance to NSCN-IM in 2022.
Earlier, on March 3, 2026, a ULFA-I cadre identified as 'second lieutenant' Bitul Baruah (32) surrendered before SFS in the Horu Chinghan area of Khonsa in Tirap District. Baruah also surrendered a 40 calibre pistol with a magazine and two rounds of ammunition. On February 15, 2026, an active cadre of the Akato Chophy-led Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-Akato), 'sergeant Inno Mosha Pangsa alias Chang (23), surrendered before the Assam Rifles in Khonsa town in Tirap District. The surrendered militant handed over a 32 calibre pistol, ammunition, a walkie-talkie set and other items.
Similarly, on February 10, 2026, a cadre belonging to the Khango Konyak-led NSCN-K faction, identified as 'lieutenant' Wangkhu Lowang (32), surrendered before security forces in Tirap District, handing over a 7.65 mm pistol and ammunition.
The State Home Department informed the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 9, 2026, that a total of 165 underground operatives belonging to various militant groups had surrendered in TCL over the preceding five years. Among these, 77 surrendered in Longding, 47 in Tirap and 41 in Changlang. Many of the surrendered militants are currently undergoing vocational training at a rehabilitation camp established at Bhismaknagar in Lower Dibang Valley District.
In 2026 so far, eight militants have surrendered in eight separate incidents, including three from NSCN- K, two from ULFA-I and one each from NSCN, NSCN-R and NSCN-IM. In 2025, 12 militants surrendered in eight incidents, while four militants surrendered in three incidents in 2024. Since 2000, a total of 233 militants has surrendered in 86 incidents in the State, reflecting a gradual but consistent trend of militants returning to the mainstream.
Four militants were arrested in three separate incidents in 2026, while 25 militants were arrested in 14 separate incidents across the State in 2025. In 2024, a total of 23 insurgents were arrested in 11 separate incidents. Since 2000, 777 militants have been arrested in 438 separate incidents in Arunachal Pradesh.
Despite the relatively limited scale of violence, extortion by militant groups remains a persistent problem in Arunachal Pradesh. On February 10, 2026, NSCN-K-YA reportedly issued an extortion demand to the Public Works Department (PWD) in Longding District, seeking 20 per cent "service and income tax" for the year 2026. The letter warned officials of consequences if the payment was not made. Security agencies believe that such extortion demands are often issued, either by local operatives or by the outfit's central leadership operating from bases across the Indo-Myanmar border.
The security environment in Arunachal Pradesh has also been affected by espionage-related activities. On December 11, 2025, Arunachal Pradesh Police arrested two persons, Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, both residents of Kupwara District in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), at Itanagar, on charges of espionage and links with Pakistan-based handlers. Malik was reportedly detained following actionable intelligence indicating that he had been collecting and transmitting sensitive information regarding Army and paramilitary deployments through encrypted Telegram channels. Investigators also alleged that he had received instructions to carry out sabotage activities such as arson and placing explosives.
Subsequent investigations led to additional arrests. On December 12, 2025, another two persons, including Hilal Ahmed from Kupwara District, were arrested at Aalo in West Siang District, and in Miao in Changlang District, for allegedly sharing sensitive security-related information with Pakistani handlers. Later, on December 18, 2025, another two suspects from Kupwara District - Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai - were arrested in connection with the espionage network. The arrestsindicated the presence of a wider intelligence-gathering network attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in the strategically sensitive border State.
Militant groups in the region have also continued to resort to abductions as part of their extortion strategy. On November 27, 2025, a businessman identified as Vijay Shankar Aggarwal and an elected Panchayat member, B. Lamati, were reportedly abducted by militants belonging to the Ang Mai-led NSCN-K faction from the Lazu area of Tirap District. The victims were reportedly taken across the Indo- Myanmar border while delivering ransom money linked to an earlier extortion demand. The outfit had initially demanded INR 2.5 million from Aggarwal and later increased the demand to INR 20 million.
Another abduction incident occurred on October 18, 2025, when two labourers working on a road construction project in Lahu village in Tirap District were abducted by NSCN-K militants. Acting on intelligence inputs, Assam Rifles and Longding Police launched an operation and rescued the two hostages on October 19, after a brief exchange of fire with the militants.
The persistence of such incidents reflects the continued influence of insurgent groups operating along the Indo-Myanmar border, particularly in the TCL districts. As noted in earlier assessments, the TCL region remains the principal theatre of insurgent activity in Arunachal Pradesh. These districts serve as a corridor for militant groups operating across the Northeast, including organisations based in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur. The proximity of militant camps located in Myanmar's Sagaing Region further complicates counter-insurgency operations and enables insurgents to evade SFS by exploiting the porous international border.
According to SATP data, the TCL region has accounted for the majority of insurgency-related fatalities in the State since 2000. Of the total 255 fatalities recorded during this period, 198 occurred in the TCL Districts, underscoring their continued strategic significance in the regional insurgency landscape. This means that approximately 77 percent of all insurgency-related fatalities in the State since 2000 have taken place in the TCL districts, highlighting the area's persistent role as the epicentre of militant activity.
The broader ideological context of insurgency in Arunachal Pradesh is closely linked to the Naga nationalist movement and the demand for a sovereign "Nagalim," which seeks to integrate Naga- inhabited areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and parts of Myanmar. Militant groups such as NSCN-IM and NSCN-K factions continue to pursue these objectives, though the intensity of their activities in Arunachal Pradesh has fluctuated over the years.
Given the persistence of insurgent activity in the TCL region, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) continues to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the sensitive areas of the State. On September 26, 2025, UMHA extended AFSPA for another six months in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, as well as in areas under the Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham Police Stations in Namsai District bordering Assam. The extension reflects the Government's assessment that security conditions in these areas continue to warrant the deployment of armed forces with special operational powers.
Overall, while the level of insurgent violence in Arunachal Pradesh remains relatively low compared to earlier phases of the conflict, the persistence of militant activity, extortion networks, cross-border safe havens and sporadic attacks on SFS underscores the fragile security environment in the State. The TCL region, in particular, continues to function as a critical corridor for insurgent groups operating in India's Northeast. Sustained counter-insurgency operations, improved border management and effective rehabilitation policies for surrendered militants remain essential for consolidating long-term stability in the region.
Author: Afsara Shaheen Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
