ITANAGAR:The Ang Mai faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) NSCN(K) abducted two village leaders from Chop village in Longding district, Arunachal Pradesh.
Around 8:30 pm on Tuesday, a group of approximately 15 militants forcibly took village headman Chopkhu Gangsa and village chief Chijgsan Wangham towards the bordering region of Myanmar from the Chop village, according to Longding Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Banghang Tangjang.
The abduction allegedly transpired as a consequence of the victims failing to pay a levy amounting to Rs 50,000 imposed by the militant outfit.
The village headman holds an official post, while the village chief’s role is more traditional.
In response to the incident, the local police and Assam Rifles have initiated a substantial operation to locate and rescue the abducted individuals.
This incident marks the second case of abduction by militants in the district this month.
Earlier on November 16, NSCN-KYA rebels kidnapped two employees of a private construction firm, Shashank Yadav and Liamgao Pansa.
The victims, a junior engineer and a supervisor, were taken from a camp near Tisa River between Pongchau and Konnu villages.
Fortunately, they were released on November 28.
The motive behind their kidnapping remains uncertain, as it has not been confirmed whether any ransom was paid for their release.
October 29 witnessed another grim incident when two brothers, Katwang Wangham (a village chief) and Wangtai Wangsu of Kamhua Noksa village, were kidnapped by NSCN-KYA militants.
The captors demanded a staggering Rs 60 lakh as ransom for their safe release.
After nearly two weeks in captivity, the duo was released on November 9.
However, details regarding whether any ransom was paid for their release remain unclear.
The surge in kidnapping incidents has presented a formidable challenge for security forces in the region.
