NE rebels ambush AR; 2 died

Imphal, Jan 23: Two soldiers of the Assam Rifles were killed and two others injured yesterday when militants ambushed a convoy near Jairampur on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, police said. The security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation immediately in the area and killed two of the militants involved in the ambush and aslo recovered two weapons from their possession. According to reports, the attackers belonged to the United Liberation Front of South East Asia, a joint platform of most of the North Eastern militant outfits, including the antitalk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), National Socialist Council of Nagaland led by Khaplang (NSCN-K) and Coordination Committee (CorCom) of Manipur. Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Mahanta said that 15 to 20 militants carried out the ambush. Meanwhile, a joint statement by the CorCom and the ULFA
faction claimed responsibility for the attack named “Operation BARAK”.