Ulfa, NSCN, two others own responsibility for Manipur ambush that left 20 jawans dead

GUWAHATI: At least 20 jawans of 6 Dogra infantry regiment were killed in an RPG attack in an ambush by unidentified militants on Thursday morning in Manipur's Moltuk valley in Chandel district bordering Myanmar. At least 12 other are reported to have been injured in the third ambush on security forces in the region in three months.

The newly-floated common platform, United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia comprising NSCN (K), Ulfa (I), Kamatapur Liberation Organization and NDFB (Songbijit) claimed responsibility for the Manipur ambush. Ulfa (I) leader Paresh Baruah called up local television channels saying that the ambush was carried out under orders from SS Khaplang, chairman of the new platform.

On April 2, three Army jawans were killed in an ambush by NSCN (K) in Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh. On May 3, seven Assam Rifles jawans and one jawan of Territorial Army were killed in another ambush in Mon district in Nagaland by joint forces of newly floated United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia comprising NSCN (K), Ulfa (I), Kamatapur Liberation Organization and NDFB (Songbijit).

The jawans were patrolling along the secluded New Samtal Road about 90km from Imphal when they came under heavy attack with bombs and automatic rifles from different sides at the jungles near Paroulan village around 8am, police sources said. The 6 Dogra is being de-inducted from the Moltuk valley.

Defence PRO Lt Col S Newton said, "We do not have the exact casualty figure as of now, but it would be at least 17."

The sources said adding that the first vehicle of the convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) before the remaining vehicles were rained by bullets. The injured jawans were air lifted by an Army helicopter to the Leimakhong military hospital near Imphal.

Following the attack, a large number of security forces including state police rushed to the spot and carried out a massive combing operation at the jungles of Moltuk and nearby areas.

The area comes under the operational jurisdiction of 26 sector Assam Rifles whose headquarters is located at Pallel town in the same district and the sector is commanded by the inspector general of Assam Rifles (South).

The Samtal area was once a stronghold of various underground outfits before they were driven out by a massive military operation codenamed "Operation Samtal" about seven years back, a senior officer said and added that after the operation civil administration at the area has been strengthen and ran smoothly.

A police source said that so far there is no indication of who could be behind the ambush though the needle of suspicion suggests that it could be either the joint group of Meitei outfit Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup with probable support from NSCN (I-M), which is currently in peace talks with the centre or the Coordination Committee (CorCom) — a conglomeration of six banned Meitei outfits namely Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Progressive (PREPAK-Pro) and Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), and United National Liberation Front (UNLF).