Imphal, Nov 18: At least 3 army men were killed while four other sustained serious injury after heavily armed rebel groups suspected to be cadres of combined revolutionary groups based in Assam and Manipur ambush a convoy of security forces at Pengri area of Tinsukia district of neighbouring state Assam.
Assam based journalists reported the ambushed to have been carried out early today morning by exploding an IED to an army vehicle. The report added that the rebel group took away one Insas Rifle from the security convoy.
A Gypsy vehicle of the army convoy was severely damage in the attack. The condition of the gypsy vehicle suggested that there is hardly any chance of any survival for those inside the vehicle. Locals told the journalists that the rebels fired the vehicle from both side and fled towards the forest area.
NDTV report suspected the rebels to have been belonging to Ulfa militants. The news channel quoted Assam DGP Mukhesh Sahay saying the IED blast occurred at 5.30 am today morning and following that exchange of fire between the two sides continue for few minutes.
“They (the militants) had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on the road. When the IED exploded, the convoy stopped. Then the militants fired indiscriminately,” Defence Public Relations Officer, Lt. Col. Suneet Newton, said to the news channel.
Report reaching here said that soon after the incident large number of security forces including Army, AR and Assam Police cordon the Pengri area and conducted a massive search operation. There is no report of any arrest made during the operation.
Those injured in the attacked had been immediately shifted to Military hospital at Tinsukia. Conditions of 2 are reported to be serious.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Home Rajnath Singh tweeted that he had spoken to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal about the situation.