News Analysis India

Tag: Assam Rifles

  • NSCN-K (YA) militants nabbed by Assam Rifles in Nagaland’s Mon town near Myanmar border

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Three hardcore militants of the banned NSCN-K (YA) outfit were nabbed from Mon town of Nagaland in an intelligence-led counter-insurgency operation by the Assam Rifles after the ultras crossed over to India from Myanmar, sources in the security establishment said on Thursday.

    All the three militants apprehended are residents of Myanmar and they sneaked into the Indian side with the purpose of carrying out a string of attacks, they said.

    The militants identified as Yunah Konyak, Tonpho Konyak alias Aton and Songam Konyak were caught by troops of the 35 Assam Rifles in the operation on Monday in the border town with support from local police, the sources said.

    While Yunah is a resident of Thela village in Myanmar, Tonpho is from Kamka village and Songam is from the Langkho area of the neighbouring country, they said. The Indian and Myanmarese security forces have been coordinating with each other in keeping a strict vigil over the India-Myanmar border.

    In October last year, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, paid a crucial visit to Myanmar during which India decided to supply an attack submarine to the Myanmar Navy besides agreeing to further deepen overall military and defence ties.

    It is learnt that the overall coordination and cooperation between the India and Myanmarese armies on the management of the Indo-Myanmar border has improved following the visit by the Chief of Army Staff. Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

    The NSCN (Khaplang) and several other Naga militant groups have been demanding the establishment of a ‘Greater Nagaland’ comprising all the Naga-inhabited areas of neighbouring Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

    India has been concerned over some militant groups from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar. The country has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.

    Various Naga militant groups are currently holding talks with the Centre to resolve the decades-old Naga issue.

  • Assam Rifles launches skill training camp for Manipur insurgents

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: In an effort to impart skill-based training to insurgents living in the suspension of operations camp, Assam Rifles on Wednesday launched a first-of- its-kind programme.

    The programme covers Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) cadre living at Muvanlai (New Teikot), Khuga Battalion. The camp has been named Siamzilna Leh Kilamthanka, which means ‘new skills, renewed lives’.

    It was inaugurated by Major General Alok Naresh, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (South). Major General Naresh said, “The endeavour is to empower the trainees to successfully compete with their counterparts in the professional and social domains.”

    Speaking about the overall plan, Lt Col Mohit Vaishnava, PRO of Defence Manipur, said, “Training will be organised in multiple phases, for  30 days each. The first phase will include skills like sewing, carpentry and IT training. Training for subsequent phases will be upgraded to other result-oriented skills based on the feedback from the trainees.”

    For this camp, Assam Rifles coordinated with Humanism Foundation, which works with National Skill Development Corporation. The Humanism Foundation, a non government organisation, provided assistance in arranging equipment and trainers for the Skill Development Training. 

    There are 73 inhabitants in the identified camp who are mainly engaged in camp maintenance and other activities like pisciculture, goat farming, paddy farming and other forms of organic farming. The produce for the consumption of the cadres in the camp.

  • Naga women in Nagaland, Manipur tie rakhis on Assam Rifles troopers, slammed

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Groups of Naga women in Nagaland and Manipur are in the eye of a storm for tying rakhis on Assam Rifles personnel during the recent Raksha Bandhan celebration.    The Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), which is Nagaland’s apex Naga women’s body, said it was a shame to witness the “questionable” act of the women when the Nagas are yet to see justice for war crimes and human rights violations allegedly committed by the armed forces.

    “The Naga women have been traumatized by a genocidal history of rapes, molestation, killings, village groupings, inhumane atrocities at the hands of Indian armed forces under the impunity of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). It is a shame and a black day to witness our women tying rakhis and felicitating these very armed forces,” the NMA said in a statement.

    The Raksha Bandhan celebrations in question were held at Dimapur in Nagaland and Tamenglong in Manipur. The BJP took the initiative at Dimapur and a students’ body at Tamenglong.

    “… It is unacceptable and questionable in the continuing violations of human rights as long as Nagas are forced to live under AFSPA in these Naga areas and without justice for the past history of human rights violations. The haunting cries of families of victims for justice in the numerous incidents over the decades are yet to be heard and justice served,” the NMA stated.

    It urged the national secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha Aienla Jamir, party’s Dimapur District Mahila Morcha chief Avi Aomi, their teams and the students’ body and the women in Tamenglong to join the Naga women instead of taking part in such “objectionable programmes”.

    “They must join Naga women if they are true Nagas who love their people and raise their voices to Government of India and central BJP leaders for repeal of the AFSPA and justice for crimes committed by the Indian armed forces, including the Assam Rifles,” it further said.

  • Assam Rifles apprehends two with contraband worth Rs 39 lakhs in Mizoram

    By ANI
    CHAMPHAI (MIZORAM): The Serchhip Battalion of Assam Rifles apprehended two smugglers and recovered contraband items worth Rs 39 lakhs in Farkawn village in Champhai district of Mizoram, Assam Rifles said on Monday.

    “Serchhip Battalion of #AssamRifles on 10 July, apprehended two smugglers and recovered Contraband items worth Rs 39 Lakhs in general area Farkawn Village in Mizoram,” tweeted Assam Rifles.

    ASSAM RIFLES SEIZE CONTRABAND ITEMS IN MIZORAMSerchhip Battalion of #AssamRifles on 10 July, apprehended two smugglers and recovered Contraband items worth Rs 39 Lakhs in general area Farkawn Village in Mizoram.@PIBHomeAffairs @adgpi @ANI pic.twitter.com/amSFqiZkxC
    — The Assam Rifles (@official_dgar) July 12, 2021

    In another operation, Assam Rifles apprehended a cadre of Kamtapura Liberation Organisation (KLO) in the general area Chop Village in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh. “#AssamRifles on 10 July, in a joint operation with Police apprehended a cadre of Kamtapura Liberation Organisation (KLO) in general area Chop Village, Tirap District, Arunachal Pradesh,” tweeted official account of Assam Rifles.

    Earlier on July 5, Assam Rifles seized arms and other war-like stores from Manipur’s Kamjong village along the Indo-Myanmar Border.

  • Assam Rifles to pay Rs 10 lakh to family of slain Manipur villager as compensation

    By Express News Service
    GUWAHATI:  The Assam Rifles will pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of a Manipur villager, who was shot dead by the paramilitary force, on humanitarian grounds.

    The incident, which occurred at Chalwa village in Kangpokpi district on Friday night, had triggered widespread outrage.

    An agreement to compensate the family of the 26-year-old victim, Mangboilal Lhouvum who was a daily wage labourer, was signed by senior officials of Assam Rifles and Manipur government and leaders of some local civil society organisations.

    The other agreements were that the present company of 44 Assam Rifles at Banglabung will be removed or replaced at the earliest following approval by the Army headquarters.

    It was also agreed upon that a fully functional armed police station with a minimum strength of 40 personnel will be set up in the area at the earliest.

    The agreement was jointly signed by the Commander of 22 Sector Assam Rifles Brigadier PS Arora, Additional Director General of Manipur Police, Sub-Divisional Officer and three leaders of civil society organisations.

    So far, neither the police nor the Assam Rifles has given a statement narrating the incident. According to reports, insurgent group Kuki Revolutionary Army had posted its finance secretary at Chalwa recently and he was responsible for the collection of illegal taxes. The outfit’s main target was the FCI food distribution trucks.

    To find out his identity, an Assam Rifles team of four, led by an Army Major, visited the village in plain clothes using a civilian’s vehicle. It was then that the incident happened. The Major, who is on deputation with the Assam Rifles, has been arrested by the police.

  • Mob in Manipur torches Assam Rifles vehicles, firearms after civilian’s death

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: A mob of dozens of villagers torched two Assam Rifles vehicles and four weapons in Manipur after the paramilitary force had shot dead a civilian.

    The incident occurred in Kangpokpi district on Friday night. The deceased was identified as Mangboilal Lhouvum, a daily wage labourer from Chalwa village in the district. He was seriously injured and succumbed to his injuries later.

    A “road opening party” of 44 Assam Rifles, based at Banglabung village, was travelling to adjoining Chalwa village when the incident occurred. The police have taken an Army Major, who is on deputation with the Assam Rifles, into their custody.

    After the incident, the locals vented their ire outside the Assam Rifles camp by resorting to arson. They also tried to attack the Major while he was being taken away by the police.

    It was not immediately known what led to the incident. The police refused to share any details stating that they were getting various narratives of the incident. The Assam Rifles too did not share anything.

  • Two of three Assam ONGC employees, abducted by ULFA, rescued in Nagaland

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Two of the three employees of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), abducted by the militants of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) from Assam, were rescued by the security forces after a gunfight in Nagaland’s Mon district.

    “In an operation last (Friday) night, Indian Army along with Assam Rifles troops rescued two abductees in the general area of Mon. Operations are still in progress. The names of rescued abductees are Alakesh Saikia and Mohini Mohan Gogoi. One AK 47 has also been recovered,” Army sources said.

    Junior engineering assistant Saikia and junior technician Gogoi were abducted along with Ritul Saikia, also a junior technician, from an ONGC work over rig site in the Lakwa field of Assam’s Sivasagar district in the wee hours of Wednesday by five ULFA militants.

    In a statement, the ULFA said the three ONGC employees were handed over to the villagers of Totokchingnyu as the outfit was concerned about their safety amidst the gunfight.

    “Since the security forces have not said anything about the fate of the third person, we suspect that he was either killed or kept hidden by the security forces deliberately,” the statement said.

    The ULFA said it had exchanged fire intermittently with over 500 personnel of Army, Assam Rifles, and police from 10 pm of Friday till 2:30 am of Saturday.

    The Assam police earlier arrested 14 people, including ULFA sympathizers, in connection with the incident.

    Official sources in Nagaland said the gunfight broke out at around 2 am at a forested area near Totokchingnyu village in Mon. The sources could not specify the number of the militants but confirmed that it was a mixed group of militants from the ULFA and the Yung Aung faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland or NSCN (YA).

    “The personnel had managed to rescue the two persons during the gunfight. The third person is still in the custody of the militants. An operation to rescue him is on,” the sources added.

    The NSCN (YA) is the only Naga insurgent group outside the purview of peace talks. Most of its members are Nagas from Myanmar.

    The ULFA operates out of the soil of Myanmar and is a component of an umbrella organisation of militant groups from the Northeast which is headed by the NSCN (YA). The outfits work in close coordination with one another.

  • Assam Rifles apprehend three with arms and ammunitions in Aizawl

    By ANI

    AIZAWL (Mizoram): The Aizawl Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles have seized arms and ammunitions and apprehended arms dealers during a joint operation with state police in Aizawl, Assam Rifles said on Thursday.

    Based on the specific information the joint operation was carried out on March 31.

    “The operation was based on confirmed intelligence inputs about the war-like stores,” it said.

    According to Assam Rifles, the team recovered one Armscor AK22 rifle, one point 22 mm colt pistol, 108 rounds of 22 mm ammunition, one round of 7.62 mm ammunition two rounds of 32 mm ammunition, five empty cartridges of 22 mm and two shotgun shells during the operation.

    All the three apprehended arms dealers were later handed over to the Aizawl Police Station. 

  • Assam Rifles initiates first Military Nursing Services pre-induction course for girls of Mizoram

    Express News Service
    AIZAWL: Aiming to engage the youth of Mizoram positively, paramilitary force Assam Rifles (AR) has initiated the first of its kind training capsule for the girls of Mizoram state. 

    “AR has initiated the first of its kind pre- induction coaching programme with 60 girl candidates to prepare girls for clearing the Military Nursing Services exams of the Indian Army.” tells Brigadier Digvijay Singh. 

    Also, running parallel is another training programme for boys and girls to join the various uniformed Forces of the country.

    Assam Rifles is a Paramilitary force and Brg Digvijay Singh is the Commander of its 23 Sector entrusted to look after the management of the borders of one of the smallest but strategically important state of Mizoram. AR also bears the responsibility of States its internal counter-insurgency operations and aiding the civil administration in case of need. Mizoram shares borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. 

    The MNS Pre Guidance six- week capsule is being run by Assam Rifles in cooperation with Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Classes are conducted for two hours a day, six days a week for the potential candidates for MNS to train them to crack written exam and interview. It started with effect from 01 Mar 2021. 

    Talking about the process Lt Col Ritwik Patjoshi with 46 Battalion under Sector 23 tells the candidates were selected through the entrance exam. “Prior to the capsule 200 interested candidates were screened on medical and academic ground and those found fit for the profession were enrolled for the capsule after clearing an entrance exam.” 

    BSc 2nd year student Chhawn Thangpuii hails from the Serchhip district of the state. For students like her, this programme has come as a boon. 

    “There is not much awareness in our area and even after having interest in medical I had financial constraints and was not aware of the MNS.” 

    This programme has brushed my subjects which will help me with the exam, tells Thangpuii. 

    Military Nursing Officer (MNS) is an auxiliary force of the Indian Armed Forces where only the women officers serve as nurses in uniform with the status of a Commissioned Officers. It comprises of only women officers of MNS. 

    In another such programme, 100 boys are being trained for the written and interview portion of the recruitment process of the armed forces. Brigadier Digvijay Singh, Commander 23 Sector, Assam Rifles Mizoram Sector says, “This is just a beginning and many such programmes with a larger goal are in our planning list which will open greater avenues and brighter opportunities for the girls and boys of Mizoram.” 

    The aim lies to divert the youth into productive activities so as to wean them from falling prey to addictions. 

    The state has been facing the menace of narcotics, drugs and contraband leading to rise in the cases of addictions. 

    In 2020 there were 190 apprehensions of smugglers which stands 53 till now for 2021. It is accompanied by a seizure of 55 Cr Narcotics and 35 cr of Contraband in 2020. In 2021 the narcotics seizures are 15 crores till mid-march and the Contraband seizure of 26 cr. 

    “Assam Rifles is conducting anti-Drug campaigns to create awareness among youth about ill effects of Drugs,” tells Brg Singh.

  • Another bomb found near Assam Rifles transit camp in Manipur

    By PTI
    IMPHAL: A bomb was found near a transit camp of the Assam Rifles (AR) in Manipur’s Imphal East district on Friday, police said.

    The bomb squad of Manipur Police safely removed the bomb from the spot and defused it.

    It is suspected that a proscribed insurgent outfit, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) Progressive Group, planted the bomb.

    The explosive was discovered two days after an AR jawan was injured while trying to defuse another bomb planted near the transit camp.

    PREPAK(Progressive) had claimed responsibility for planting it.

    The organisation is against the ‘homecoming ceremony’ in which 20 militants belonging to various banned outfits surrendered and laid down their weapons before Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday.