A fierce gun battle broke out between Assam Rifles personnel and suspected ULFA (Independent) militants late on Tuesday night in Arunachal Pradesh’s Namsai district, resulting in the death of one ULFA (I) cadre. Security forces also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the encounter site.
According to official sources, the encounter began around 10 p.m. after security forces received information about the presence of six ULFA (I) members hiding in the area. Acting on the tip-off, Assam Rifles launched a search operation, leading to an exchange of fire that continued for several hours.
During the operation, one militant was gunned down while others managed to escape under the cover of darkness. The slain cadre’s identity is yet to be confirmed. Security personnel seized several weapons and ammunition from the site. Officials said that the ammunition used by the militants was similar to that found in the recent Kakopathar encounter, indicating a possible link between the two incidents. 
Sources said that the same group of militants believed to have been involved in the earlier Kakopathar encounter was also behind last night’s attack. The use of similar UBGL ammunition further supports this connection.
In response to the latest clash, security forces have intensified their operations in the region. Army helicopters, drones, and tracker dogs have been deployed to trace the remaining militants who are believed to be hiding in the dense forest areas near the Arunachal-Assam border.
In last two weeks , the area have seen multiple attacks targeting Assam Rifles camps ; one in Kakopathar and another in Changlang district. The back-to-back encounters suggest that ULFA (I) cadres have been attempting to regroup in the region, taking advantage of the remote terrain.
