Violence is flaring up again along India’s volatile northeast border with Myanmar, raising fears that this neglected region may turn into a second Kashmir. In just three weeks, Indian troops have come under fire in three separate attacks, with the latest clashes reported in Arunachal Pradesh on June 5 and 6.
On June 5, heavily armed militants ambushed Indian security forces in the dense jungles of Arunachal Pradesh’s Longding district. The attackers managed to escape into Myanmar’s territory. A follow-up operation on June 6 reportedly killed two insurgents from the banned NSCN (K-YA) group, which has refused to sign a ceasefire agreement with India.
This was the “third major attack” in recent weeks:
- April 27: Clashes in Longding killed three militants.
- May 14: A deadly encounter in Manipur’s Chandel district left 10 militants dead and large weapons caches seized.
Despite these escalating incidents, the Indian Army has remained silent on its own losses. Local media coverage is minimal, and analysts suggest this is a deliberate attempt to downplay the severity of the situation to avoid international attention.
The 1,643-kilometer border, which stretches through Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, has long been a challenge. Rugged terrain, local resistance to fencing, and militant activity from groups like the Myanmar-based People’s Defence Force have made securing the area extremely difficult.
In 2024, India approved a ₹31,000 crore border protection project, but on the ground, little progress has been made. The latest wave of violence shows just how vulnerable the region remains.
Experts now warn that “India is entering a dangerous phase of a ‘silent war’”, with insurgents gaining ground, government strategy faltering, and local populations caught in the middle. If left unchecked, the situation could spiral into a full-blown security crisis — one eerily reminiscent of Kashmir.
