Assam Rifles convoy ambushed in Arunachal Pradesh, one jawan martyred.

Guwahati, Oct. 21: In an ambush a rifle-man of Assam Rifle was killed by suspected National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) militants near Sanliam village, about 10 kms south of Khonsa, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district on Wednesday.

Informing that heavily armed Naga rebels ambushed a patrolling team of the Assam Rifle, security sources said that a rifle-man Babu Rao, who was the resident of Andhra Pradesh sustained grievous bullet injuries and died on the way to hospital.

The development came three months after 6 Assam Rifles killed six NSCN (I-M) militants in an early morning encounter near Nginu village, close to Myanmar border, in neighbouring Longding district.

Pointing out that Assam Rifle has launched a combing operation in the area, security sources said that there were reports of heavily armed NSCN (I-M) rebels camping along the international border with Myanmar. Indicating that NSCN (I-M) militants have been targeting the Assam Rifle since July to retaliate the killing of its six cadres, security sources said that several attempts of NSCN (I-M) to ambush Assam Rifle were foiled in the last three months.

Earlier, on October 3, a heavily armed rebel group, suspected to be Khaplang faction of NSCN had ambushed and killed an Assam Rifles jawan in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Another jawan was injured seriously in the ambush near Hetlong village under the Jairampur police station.

However, no militant group took responsibility, but district officials and the security forces suspected that the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) had carried out the attack. (EOM)