Ambush on Army convoy in Assam: IB had warned of attack

The incident came just three days after suspected militants had attacked a vehicle of a tea estate between Pengeri and Doomdooma.
Bullet marks are seen on a damaged army vehicle at Pengeri in Assam | AFP
Bullet marks are seen on a damaged army vehicle at Pengeri in Assam | AFP

GUWAHATI: Just days after the IB had warned security forces of a possible attack by the militants in Assam, suspected members of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and SS Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) ambushed a two-vehicle convoy of the Army’s 15 Kumaon regiment, killing three jawans and injuring four others, in the state’s Tinsukia district on Saturday.

The convoy was headed to oil township Digboi from Pengeri, where suspected militants had on Wednesday fired at a vehicle of a tea estate believing it to be carrying cash. One person was killed and
two others were injured in that incident.

The police said Saturday’s attack was carried out at the dense upper Dihing-Patkai Reserve Forest at around 5:30 am. The militants had used AK series rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and under belt rocket launchers (UBGLs).

“Recently, we received intelligence inputs that a group of militants belonging to Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA and NSCN-K had entered Tinsukia from Myanmar through Arunachal Pradesh. Subsequently, we launched a massive search operation. But unfortunately, today’s incident couldn’t be thwarted,” Tinsukia Superintendent of Police, Mugdhajyoti Mahanta, told reporters.

The police suspected that the attack was carried out by a group of 15 militants.

“The convoy comprised a gypsy and a truck. They first fired at the gypsy leaving the driver injured but he still kept driving. Later, the second vehicle was targeted. The jawans had also retaliated.
Apparently, some newly-recruited rebels were involved as they left behind some live shells of the RPGLs, which are very costly,” Mahanta said.

Director General of Police (DGP) Mukesh Sahay, who was rushed to Tinsukia by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to review the situation, told Express, “We suspect the attack was carried out by ULFA, which was backed by other organisations. They (insurgent groups of the Northeast) have formed an umbrella organisation called UNLFW (United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia)”.

After the incident, the security forces launched a massive combination operation in which choppers were also used.

Sonowal condemned the attack and said the perpetrators of the crime would not go scot-free. “We’ll give them a befitting reply,” he asserted.
 

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