The Defence Ministry informed on Sunday that a joint operation by the Army, Assam Rifles, and district police in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district has led to the recovery of a significant cache of Chinese-origin assault rifles.
The operation, which utilised specialist drones, tracker dogs, and metal detectors, took place in the dense forests of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve, near 27 Mile along the Miao-Vijaynagar Road.
The weapons, including ten MQ-81 Chinese-origin assault rifles and Type 81 assault rifles, were uncovered after a meticulous search by security forces.
Lt Col Amit Shukla, a spokesperson for the defence, said that the rifles were believed to have been buried by militants of the Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG) group before their surrender the previous year.
Over the past six months, insurgent groups operating in the region, including the NSCM (IM) and NSCN (KYA), had attempted to recover the hidden weapons with the help of ENNG cadres.
Security forces, acting on intelligence inputs, were able to locate the hidden stash in a thickly forested area on Saturday. Lt Col Shukla added that the forces took necessary precautions to ensure the safety of tourists present in the Namdapha Reserve Forest during the operation.
"The operation was carried out with the utmost professionalism and precision, ensuring that the weapons did not fall into the hands of insurgents," said Lt Col Shukla.
"This successful operation underscores the continued dedication of security forces to maintaining peace and security in the region," he added.
The recovery of the assault rifles highlights the persistent security challenges in the region, where insurgent groups continue to exploit remote areas for their activities.
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