The Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh continues to experience insurgency-related violence, with attacks on Security Forces (SFs), militant encounters, extortion activities and recruitment efforts indicating the persistence of armed groups along the India-Myanmar border. The activities of the Yung Aung faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K-YA), the Ang Mai faction of NSCN-K and the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) indicate that Changlang remains an important operational area for multiple insurgent formations.
The latest attack illustrates the continuing vulnerability of security personnel operating along the international border. On September 29, 2026, an Assam Rifles (AR) trooper, Havildar Jankhokai Kuki (42) was killed and another four were injured when suspected insurgents ambushed a routine patrol near Nampong under the Nampong Circle of Changlang District. NSCN-K-YA and the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), jointly claimed responsibility for the attack. The groups reportedly opposed infrastructure development along the India-Myanmar border. The claim came amid a wider pattern of militant opposition to border fencing and associated construction activities, raising concerns over the security of personnel engaged in border management and infrastructure projects.
The September attack followed another deadly incident on March 26, 2026, when three AR personnel were reportedly killed in an attack by NSCN-K-YA militants along the Namgoi-Pangsau road near the India-Myanmar border. In a subsequent statement, the outfit’s Ministry of Information and Publicity (MIP) claimed that its Naga Army Tactical Unit had targeted a construction team of the 10th AR engaged in building a border fence. The group described the fencing project as “illegal” and warned that construction activities would provoke resistance from Naga groups on both sides of the border. The attack highlighted the extent to which border infrastructure has become a point of confrontation between SFs and insurgent formations operating in the region.
The district also witnessed an encounter involving a separate NSCN-K faction. On May 11, 2026, two cadres of the Ang Mai-led NSCN-K were killed during an encounter with AR personnel in the Miao area of Changlang. The deceased were identified by the outfit as ‘lieutenant colonel’ Umkong and ‘sergeant’ Enu. Security officials reported the recovery of arms and ammunition following the operation. The encounter demonstrated the continued presence of armed cadres beyond the immediate border belt and the challenges posed by the activities of multiple NSCN-K factions.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Changlang recorded six insurgency-linked fatalities in three incidents in 2026, including four SF personnel and two terrorists. The district recorded no insurgency-linked fatalities in either 2024 or 2025. Since 2000, Changlang has recorded 56 insurgency-linked fatalities, including 34 terrorists, 14 SF personnel and eight civilians, in 37 separate incidents. The concentration of fatalities in 2026, following two years without recorded fatalities, indicates a renewed escalation in lethal insurgent activity.
The frequency of security operations and militant attacks further illustrates the continuing operational challenge. On August 14, 2026, suspected NSCN-K-YA cadres opened fire on an AR camp at Tikhak Taipi village near Longvi under the Nampong Police Station. AR personnel retaliated, forcing the attackers to flee into a nearby forest. No casualties were reported, and SFs subsequently launched search operations and intensified surveillance in the surrounding area.
Earlier, on January 26, 2026, an AR camp at the Ranglom Company Operating Base of the 4th AR Battalion, near the India-Myanmar border, came under attack. The NSCN-K-YA claimed responsibility, stating that its cadres had fired on the camp from two directions in response to alleged harassment of civilians. AR personnel retaliated, following which counter-operations and search-and-cordon measures were launched. No casualties among SFs or civilians were reported.
Insurgent financing and recruitment remain additional concerns. On May 25, 2026, reports indicated that NSCN-K-YA had revived its extortion network in Changlang, issuing notices demanding annual payments from owners of commercial vehicles and heavy machinery. The reported demands included INR 50,000 annually from Poclain excavator owners and INR 25,000 from truck owners. Other categories allegedly targeted included JCB operators, dumpers, taxis and auto-rickshaws. The reported demands affected the wider Tirap-Changlang-Longding (TCL) region. According to the reports, the response from local businessmen remained limited amid intensified counter-insurgency operations. If sustained, such extortion activities could impose an additional burden on local businesses and provide insurgent groups with a source of financial support.
Arrests in 2026 have also exposed alleged efforts to maintain organisational networks and recruit local youths. On September 29, 2026, AR personnel, in coordination with Changlang and Tinsukia Police, arrested two suspected ULFA-I cadres, Sahdev Rai alias Bappi Akhom and Siraju Alam alias Shiraj Asom, following intelligence inputs about a possible ambush and improvised explosive device (IED) attack along the Miao-Vijaynagar Road. An AK-series rifle, an IED, three magazines and 90 rounds of live ammunition were recovered. During questioning, the arrested individuals reportedly disclosed their association with a larger group of approximately 20 armed cadres.
On April 28, 2026, AR personnel arrested an National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khango (NSCN-Khango) cadre, Kamnong Pangtha, and a suspected overground worker (OGW), Gopang Negimu, during an intelligence-based operation in the Rima-Putok Circle. Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that the two were involved in extortion and recruitment of local youths into insurgent ranks. Officials disclosed that their activities were concentrated in Changlang and Jairampur. Further inquiry suggested that the OGW had also attempted to facilitate the defection of cadres from NSCN-Khango to the Ang Mai faction.
Surrenders provide another indication of pressure on insurgent formations. Seven militants surrendered in four separate incidents in Changlang in 2026, compared with two in one incident in 2025 and three in two incidents in 2024. Since 2000, 33 militants have surrendered in 25 separate incidents in Changlang. Recent incidents include:
On September 18, 2026, a suspected ULFA-I cadre, Dilip Axom alias Kamal Sarania (23), surrendered before the AR at Pangsau.
Earlier, on May 5, 2026, two ULFA-I cadres, Lekang Axom alias Ashok Sonowal and Nipen Axom alias Biplav Buragohain, surrendered at Pangsau Pass after reportedly deserting the outfit’s General Headquarters at Ranu in Myanmar.
On June 23, 2026, three cadres belonging to the NSCN-Reformation (NSCN-R) and NSCN-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) also surrendered before the Changlang District Police.
The surrender figures form part of a wider rehabilitation process in the TCL region. According to information provided by the State Home Department to the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 9, 2026, 165 underground operatives belonging to various militant factions surrendered in Tirap, Changlang and Longding Districts over the preceding five years. Of these, 41 surrendered in Changlang. A rehabilitation camp at Bhismaknagar, operational since January 9, 2025, houses most surrendered operatives, who receive vocational training at the Industrial Training Institute in Roing. The continued implementation of rehabilitation measures is important for helping former insurgents reintegrate into civilian life and reducing the possibility of their return to armed activity.
Changlang’s security significance is closely linked to its location along the India-Myanmar border. The district’s border areas, including the Nampong-Pangsau belt, have featured repeatedly in militant attacks and operations. The reported movement of cadres from camps in Myanmar, the targeting of personnel engaged in border fencing and the recovery of weapons and explosives, indicate the importance of cross-border operational networks. At the same time, the involvement of multiple insurgent factions complicates the security environment, as operations must address both armed attacks and the networks supporting extortion, recruitment and movement.
Significantly, in view of the prevailing security situation, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, in Tirap, Changlang and Longding Districts of Arunachal Pradesh, along with Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham Police stations in Namsai District, for another six months, effective October 1, 2026. The extension underscores continuing security concerns in the State’s insurgency-affected areas, particularly along the India-Myanmar border.
The principal challenge in Changlang is therefore not simply the occurrence of individual attacks but the persistence of an operational environment in which insurgent factions can target security personnel, seek financial support through extortion and attempt to recruit local youths. The fatal attacks in March and September, together with the August assaults on AR positions, demonstrate that the threat remains active despite arrests, encounters and surrenders. Sustained intelligence-based operations, protection of vulnerable patrol routes and border infrastructure, and action against extortion and recruitment networks remain essential. Rehabilitation and livelihood opportunities for surrendered cadres are equally important in limiting the replenishment of insurgent ranks. Unless these measures reduce both the operational capacity of armed groups and their ability to sustain local networks, Changlang is likely to remain a significant centre of insurgency-related insecurity along the India-Myanmar border.
