3 NSCN(KYA) cadres killed in Arunachal gunfight

Guwahati: Three cadres of proscribed NSCN (KYA) were killed in an operation by security forces in Arunachal Pradesh's Longding district bordering Myanmar on Sunday, a defence spokesperson said.
A security source mentioned that the operation continued for several hours and was still ongoing till Sunday afternoon, with more forces being sent to the site where the encounter took place in a remote location of the district.
"Retrieval of the bodies is ongoing. There have been three casualties," Longding SP Dekio Gumja told TOI. The site where the gunfight occurred is a highly dense forest area and far from a motorable road, police said.
The Eastern Command of the Army on its ‘X' handle stated on Sunday night that two construction workers were kidnapped on Friday night from the general area of Pangchao, in Longding district. Acting on specific information, troops of the Army and Assam Rifles launched a joint operation in Pangchao on Sunday. "Wherein the contact was established and in the ensuing firefight, three cadres of NSCN (KYA) group were neutralised," a defence spokesperson said.
He added that four automatic weapons, ammunition, and war-like stores were also recovered in the operation.
"One construction worker was rescued in the operation, and the search for the second is in progress," he said.
CM Pema Khandu recently insisted on tightening vigil in southeastern Arunachal districts where AFSPA is in force, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack. According to sources, based on intelligence inputs, security forces launched the operation.
Sources said that a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued between the security forces and insurgents, leading to the death of the three cadres at the site of the encounter. Some arms and ammunition were also recovered. The search was on to nab other cadres, even as at least a couple more might have sustained injuries.
The three eastern districts of Arunachal — Tirap, Changlang, and Longding (TCL) — known as the TCL region, share a border with Myanmar and are used by Myanmar-based militant groups to create disturbances in the northeast. Khandu had said that these districts will soon see the deployment of a senior police officer taking command to oversee the sensitive areas in these southeastern districts of Arunachal.