Two Mizo teens kidnapped by Chin militants released after Assam Rifles’ intervention

In a successful rescue operation, the Assam Rifles confirmed the release of two Mizo teenagers who had been abducted by the Hualngoram faction of the Chin Defence Force (CDF). The boys, aged 15 and 16, hail from Zokhawthar, a village in Mizoram's Champhai district near the Myanmar border.

According to reports, the boys, along with three others, were traveling to Rih Dil Lake on September 1, riding two Chinese-made Kenbo motorcycles. They were intercepted by cadres of the CDF Hualngoram faction following a previous altercation between local Zokhawthar youths and the Chin militants. While three of the boys managed to flee, the remaining two were captured and subjected to severe mistreatment.

For the first two days, the teens were held near the Rih Dil Lake area before being transferred to a CDF camp in Seik village, Myanmar, on September 3. During their captivity, the boys were tortured—reports reveal their heads were shaved, cigarette burns were inflicted on their bodies, and one boy had two of his teeth forcibly removed.

The release of the two boys on September 6 came after the intervention of the Assam Rifles, who pressured both the Chin National Army and the CDF Hualngoram faction to free the captives. The operation concluded with the safe return of the boys to Mizoram.

The incident has ignited anger and frustration among the residents of Zokhawthar, who reminded the Chin forces of the hospitality extended by the people of Mizoram to Myanmar refugees in times of crisis. Many locals condemned the abduction and the brutal treatment of the teenagers, calling for stronger measures to protect Mizo citizens living near the volatile border regions.