By IANS,
Imphal : Three paramilitary troopers were killed Saturday in an ambush by separatists in Manipur, police said.
Heavily armed militants belonging to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) opened indiscriminate fire on a convoy of the Border Security Force (BSF) near village Oksu, 20 km east of Imphal, a police spokesperson said.
“The BSF convoy was on routine patrol when the militants resorted to heavy firing from a hilltop killing three men on the spot,” a senior police official said.
The militants escaped with the weapons of the dead troopers.
“We don’t have many details. We are not sure if the BSF troopers were able to retaliate,” the official said.
The PLA is fighting for an independent homeland for the Metei community in Manipur. There are about 20 militant groups active in Manipur, their demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy.
More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Manipur in the past two decades.