Imphal: A soldier was killed when suspected militants ambushed a convoy of the Assam Rifles along the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Monday, officials said.
Assam Rifles officials said that the attack took place at Phukai Kuki village area under Kamjong subdivision in Ukhrul district, located close to the border. The militants first ambushed the convoy with improvised explosive devices (IED) and then fired at the convoy indiscriminately, seriously injuring an junior commissioned officer, who died on the spot.
“We suspect the hands of Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) behind the attack,” the officials said.
PLA is the armed wing of armed wing of Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), one of the major militant outfits operating in Manipur.
Although the security forces retaliated immediately, there was no report of any injury on the side of the militants. The gun fighting continued for more than one hour, the officials said.
The incident took place about two weeks after the state government on October 12 imposed prohibitory orders along a three-km radius of the Indian-Myanmar border in Ukhrul, Churachandpur and Chandel districts to stop cross border movement of terrorists as well as smuggling of contraband items and firearms.
The prohibitory orders restricts anyone from travel in the area between 6 p.m. till 4 a.m. without prior approval from the Assam Rifles manning the border areas.