By IANS,
Imphal : At least three paramilitary troopers were killed in an ambush by separatist guerrillas Thursday in Manipur, officials said.
A police spokesman said heavily armed militants ambushed a foot patrol of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) near village Kotlen in Senapati district, about 30 km northwest of state capital Imphal.
“The CRPF team was on a routine patrol when it came under heavy gunfire with automatic weapons from a group of unidentified militants. Three CRPF troopers died on the spot,” a senior police official said requesting not to be named.
The CRPF patrol retaliated although the militants managed to escape as they were positioned atop a hill. “We are yet to identify the militant group involved in the attack,” the official said.
Security forces have since launched a combing operation in the area to nab the rebels involved in the ambush.
Manipur is home to about 19 militant groups with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy and the right to self determination.
More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Manipur, bordering Myanmar, during the past two decades.