An Assam Rifles patrol team was targeted by suspected militants on Wednesday in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district. According to reports, one jawan hailing from Andhra Pradesh was martyred in the line of duty and another received bullet injuries during the encounter. The incident took place when a convoy of Assam Rifles was ambushed at the Sanliam tri-junction on Khonsa-Lazu road in Tirap district. 

This is the second militant attack on Assam Rifles this month. On October 4, one Assam Rifles jawan was martyred while another was hurt in an ambush by suspected militants. The incident took place at Tengmo village under Jairampur police station of Changlang district, around 300 km from capital Itanagar. Militants of proscribed outfits ULFA (I) and NSCN (K) were suspected to have been involved in the ambush.

Three districts of Arunachal Pradesh — Tirap, Longding and Changlang — share porous and unfenced borders with Myanmar. The area has long been under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which gives sweeping powers to security forces including shoot-to-kill. Several militant outfits use the forested areas as their transit route and clandestine hideouts.