Guwahati, Oct 17 (IANS) Unidentified terrorists opened fire on an Indian Army post at Kakopathar in Assam’s Tinsukia district around midnight on Friday, prompting an immediate and measured retaliation from the troops, officials said.

According to a statement issued by the Army, the firing originated from a moving vehicle targeting the Kakopathar Company location. “Troops on duty responded immediately and effectively, taking due caution to avoid collateral damage to civilian houses in the close vicinity,” the statement said.

The exchange of fire lasted several minutes before the attackers fled the area under pressure from the Army’s retaliatory response.

Preliminary reports indicate the terrorists used automatic weapons in a speculative attack aimed at testing troop readiness. While no major injuries were reported, three Army personnel sustained minor abrasions, officials confirmed.

The area has since been sanitised, and joint search operations with the Assam Police are underway to trace the attackers.

The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the fragile security situation in upper Assam’s insurgency-affected belt, which borders Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. Kakopathar, in particular, has historically witnessed militant activity, especially during the height of the ULFA (Independent) movement.

In recent years, there have been intermittent attempts by militant groups to reassert their presence in the region. In November 2023, suspected ULFA(I) cadres ambushed an Army patrol near Digboi, injuring two soldiers.

Earlier, in June 2022, security forces had narrowly escaped a similar attack in Pengeri when terrorists opened fire from a forested area.

Security agencies believe that small insurgent cells still operate along the India-Myanmar border and attempt sporadic strikes to signal their existence.

However, officials assert that such attacks have drastically reduced due to sustained counter-insurgency efforts.

Friday’s attack comes amid heightened security coordination across Assam’s eastern districts ahead of the festive season. Senior Army and police officers have reached the spot, and reinforcement teams continue search operations in the adjoining forest and highway routes.

–IANS

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