Changlang (Arunachal Pradesh), 29 September 2026 — Havildar Jankhokai Kuki, a 42-year-old soldier of the Assam Rifles, was killed in action on Tuesday morning when a patrol came under fire along the India–Myanmar border in Changlang district.
The attack occurred at approximately 6.30 a.m. near Nampong Nallah in the Nampong Circle. Personnel of the 21 Assam Rifles were conducting a patrol in an area where fencing and associated construction work are under way along the international boundary. Officials said suspected militants opened fire on the team without warning.
Havildar Kuki was identified as the soldier who succumbed to his injuries. Several reports, citing officials, stated that four other personnel were wounded and were being evacuated for medical treatment. Their condition had not been officially confirmed at the time of reporting. An official statement from the Assam Rifles was still awaited.
Suspected involvement of NSCN-K-YA
Preliminary assessments by security agencies point to cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland–Khaplang, Yung Aung faction (NSCN-K-YA), a Naga insurgent group that operates along the India–Myanmar frontier. There has been no independent public claim of responsibility, and investigators have not formally confirmed the identity of the attackers.
Changlang Superintendent of Police Kirli Padu said the district police had received information about the incident and directed the officer-in-charge of Changlang police station to collect further details. The stretch of the border in Changlang has remained sensitive because of insurgent movement across the international boundary.
Search operations launched
Following the ambush, security forces initiated search and area-domination operations in the surrounding forests and along the border. Surveillance in the sector was intensified. Further particulars regarding the precise point of contact, the direction of fire, and the manner in which the attackers approached the patrol were still being established.
Context of border fencing
The incident occurred amid India’s programme to fence the 1,643-kilometre India–Myanmar border. Fencing and related road works have previously drawn opposition from NSCN-K-YA, which has described such construction as unlawful and has been linked by officials to earlier attacks on security personnel associated with the project in the same district. The group remains active on both sides of the poorly demarcated and densely forested frontier.
Havildar Jankhokai Kuki’s family details and native place had not been released in official briefings by early afternoon. Security agencies continued operations to locate those responsible and to secure the fencing corridor.
