Arunachal: Ang Mai faction of NSCN (K) strikes again, village Chief and GB abducted in Longding

The Ang Mai faction of the NSCN (K) has once again targeted Longding district, abducting a village chief and a Gaon Bura (GB) for alleged non-payment of levy, according to local authorities.

The incident occurred at Chop village around 8:30 pm on Tuesday when approximately 15 militants forcibly took village headman Chopkhu Gangsa and village chief Chijgsan Wangham towards neighboring Myanmar, stated Longding Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Banghang Tangjang.

The motive behind the abduction, as revealed by Tangjang, was the duo's failure to pay a levy of Rs 50,000 imposed by the militant outfit. The village headman holds an official post, while the village chief is a traditional authority figure.

Law enforcement agencies, including the police and Assam Rifles, have launched a large-scale operation to trace and rescue the abducted individuals, Tangjang confirmed.

This alarming incident marks the second abduction in the district this month, with NSCN (K-YA) rebels kidnapping two employees of a private construction firm on 16 November. Shashank Yadav and Liamgao Pansa, a junior engineer and a supervisor respectively, were abducted near the Tisa river between Pongchau and Konnu villages. They were working under a contractor for a Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) project and were released on 28 November.

The motive behind the earlier kidnapping was suspected to be ransom, although confirmation of any payment remains unverified.

Longding district witnessed another kidnapping on 29 October, where two brothers – Katwang Wangham (village chief) and Wangtai Wangsu – were abducted by NSCN (K-YA) militants, demanding a ransom of Rs 60 lakhs for their release. After nearly two weeks in captivity, the duo was released on 9 November, with the ransom status still unclear.