Itanagar, Aug 09, 2022, IANS

Itanagar, Aug 9 (IANS) A week ahead of the Independence Day, heavy exchange of fire between the Assam Rifles and the militants took place in Arunachal Pradesh along the India-Myanmar border on Tuesday, injuring a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), officials said.

Tuesday's incident took place days after militant outfits, including the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) called for a boycott of the Independence Day celebrations.

Defence sources said that the militant groups from across the India-Myanmar border attacked the Assam Rifles troops at Tirap Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Assam Rifles troops were undertaking enhanced patrolling activities in view of the heightened vigil for the forthcoming Independence Day. One JCO sustained minor injury in hand during the firing. No other casualty or any other damage has been reported, the defence spokesman said.

The paramilitary troopers enhanced the surveillance after the incident.

Meanwhile, a section of the media reported a similar incident of exchange of fire between the Assam Rifles and the militants in Nagaland's Noklak district.

The media report, which was yet to be confirmed by the Army officials, quoting Nagaland police said that NSCN (KYA faction) and ULFA-I opened fire on the Assam Rifles personnel at a border outpost in Noklak district along India-Myanmar border. There are no reports of casualties yet and police officers have rushed to the mountainous bordering areas.

Four Northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km) -- share 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar, where the cadres of the few militant outfits belonging to the Northeast region of India take shelter and conduct arms training.