Dibrugarh, June 30: Two cadres of the NSCN-K (Nikki Sumi) faction surrendered before the Assam Rifles and Tirap Police in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district, officials said on Tuesday.

The insurgents laid down arms in the Kheti area on Sunday as part of ongoing efforts by security forces to encourage militants to return to the mainstream and strengthen peace initiatives in the region.

The surrendered cadres have been identified as self-styled lieutenant Longmo Konyak (32), a resident of Phomching in Nagaland’s Mon district, and self-styled sergeant major Naikai Wangsu (23) from Chanu village in Longding district.

During the surrender, the duo handed over two pistols, their magazines and eight rounds of live ammunition. The recovered weapons included a 7.65 mm pistol with four live rounds and another US-made pistol along with four rounds of ammunition.

According to an official release, the surrender was the result of sustained intelligence-based operations and continued engagement by security agencies aimed at restoring normalcy in the insurgency-hit region.

The two insurgents have been taken into custody to complete legal formalities and will subsequently undergo rehabilitation under the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, the release added.

The latest surrender is being seen as another boost to ongoing counter-insurgency and peace-building efforts in Tirap, Longding and adjoining areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, where security forces have been stepping up initiatives to bring underground cadres back into the mainstream.