The 26-member Assam Forest Department team that had gone incommunicado during a patrol operation in the remote forests along the Dima Hasao–Karbi Anglong–Nagaland border has been traced and is safe, Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced on X.
The team comprises 23 forest officials and three accompanying personnel from the Langting, Manderdisa, Hatikhola and Maibong forest ranges. They had lost communication while carrying out patrolling and combing operations in the dense forest region, where mobile network connectivity is extremely limited.
After contact with the team was lost for nearly two days, the Forest Department, Assam Police and the district administration launched a large-scale search operation. The mission was supported by drone surveillance and a senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) team.
Sharing the update, Baruah said the incident highlighted the immense challenges faced by forest personnel, who routinely work in some of the state’s most remote and inaccessible areas to protect forests, wildlife and natural heritage.
The minister thanked all agencies involved in the successful operation and commended the forest personnel for their courage, dedication and steadfast commitment to safeguarding Assam’s forests.
