The Indian Army and Assam Rifles successfully rescued one of two construction workers abducted on the night of April 25, 2025, from Pangchao in Longding district. Launched on April 27, the operation also resulted in the elimination of three cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-KYA) and the recovery of four automatic weapons along with a cache of ammunition.
The abduction occurred when suspected NSCN-KYA militants kidnapped two workers involved in road construction from a campsite near the Arunachal Pradesh-Nagaland border.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles coordinated a joint mission to secure the release of the kidnapped workers. According to official sources, including the Eastern Command of the Indian Army and the Public Relations Office in Kohima, the forces tracked the militants to a location along the Arunachal-Nagaland border, leading to an intense encounter that resulted in the deaths of three NSCN-KYA cadres, according to a report by Arunachal24.in.
One of the kidnapped workers was rescued during the operation and is reported to be in stable condition, with medical examinations underway. Efforts to locate and rescue the second worker are continuing.
The operation also dealt a significant blow to the insurgent group’s capabilities with the recovery of four automatic weapons and ammunition. Security forces have since intensified their presence in the area as the search for the second worker continues.
The incident has highlighted the urgent need for enhanced security measures to protect workers engaged in infrastructure projects across sensitive border regions.