In a militant strike, five Assam Rifles personnel including two officers were killed in Manipur’s border area on Monday. However, Manipur-based proscribed outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF) that claimed responsibility for the ambush said the death toll was 10.
A group of
well-armed militants attacked a patrol party of 43 Assam Rifles who were travelling in a mini truck and a gypsy near the hilly terrain of Old Somtal village, 125 km south of Imphal in the Chandel district.
Soon after, additional forces of the Assam Rifles rushed to the spot and conducted a massive operation to track down the attackers.
Colonel Prashant Wankhade, public relations officer of the Assam Rifles confirmed the death of five soldiers including two officers.
The two officers were identified as Major Bhupinder Mehra and Captain R. Kumar, who is said to be an Assam Rifles doctor while the three slain Jawans are Havildar B.S. Parmar, Rifleman Narayan Singh and Rifleman Ajay Kumar of the 43 Assam Rifles.
The UNLF’s senior publicity officer Ksh Yoiheiba claimed that the ambush was carried out by Laanjaaba unit of Manipur People’s Army, the armed wing of the outfit’s 293 battalion. The outfit claimed that 10 Assam Rifles personnel were killed in two separate incidents.