Accurate intelligence input from locals a major point in AR-Tirap Police’s anti-insurgency success

 

KHONSA, Jul 29: In a successful special counter-insurgency operation in the general area of Kottam forest in Tirap district on Thursday executed jointly by the Khonsa Battalion of Assam Rifles and Tirap Police, two hardcore cadres of the NSCN-K (YA) were eliminated following a fierce gun battle.
A day earlier, a specific intelligence input alerted the AR and Tirap police that active cadres of the NSCN-K (YA) were hiding in the general area of Kottam forest. A special joint operation was chalked out and an exhaustive search operation was launched on July 28 at around 0001 hours. It took nearly 10 hours to locate the exact hideout and after cordoning off the area, the team ordered the insurgents to surrender. Defying the order the insurgents started indiscriminate firing on the security forces as a result of which the latter had to retaliate leading to the elimination of two hardcore insurgents. Two automatic assault rifles including one of the MQ series, one M-16 rifle, two country made guns, one 9 mm pistol, one Chinese hand grenade, ammunition and other war-like items were recovered. 
The two cadres belonged to a gang of approximate 10 hardcore armed insurgents of the banned NSCN-K (YA) led by Self Styled Captain Rocky Thapa, who was the commander in-charge of Tirap district. The gang was active in the area for the past one month and had been extorting money in form of house tax from the innocent villagers of Kollam, Lomlo, Kolagaon and Lamsa villages under Khonsa and Deomali Circles. The villagers were constantly threatened by the gang in case of refusals and the nefarious activities went on increasing to the extent of physical assault and intimidation. Besides villagers, civil contractors engaged in construction of roads in Deomali Circle were also routinely threatened to pay extortion money. With the atrocities crossing all limits, the villagers decided to resist and started sharing information about the gang’s movements and hideouts with the security forces covertly. Surveillance activities to monitor the movement of the insurgents were then beefed up by the security forces.
Success of the joint counter insurgency operation can be attributed to the factors of continuous effort, relentless pursuit and close cooperation between Assam Rifles and Tirap police and more importantly to the local populace who passed on the accurate intelligence inputs regularly. DIPRO

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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