Manipur ambush: 20 armymen killed, 12 injured; attack 'distressing', says PM

Imphal/New Delhi: Using rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and automatic weapons, a group of insurgents on Thursday ambushed a military convoy killing at least 20 army personnel in the worst such attack in recent years.

Eleven armymen were also injured in the ambush, an Army spokesman said.

A team of 6 Dogra Regiment was on a road opening patrol (ROP) as part of its daily routine along Tengnoupal-New Samtal road, about 80 km from Imphal, when it was attacked by an unidentified insurgent outfit first with a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED), a police official said in Imphal.

After the IED blast, the insurgents resorted to heavy firing at the convoy of four Army vehicles with RPGs and automatic weapons, Army sources said in Delhi.

"20 armymen were killed and 11 injured in the attack," Army spokesman Col Rohan Anand said in Delhi.

Read: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar condemns Manipur attack

A suspected insurgent was also killed, police said. The attack occurred at 9 am (EDs correct) when the convoy reached a place between Paralong and Charong villages. More details are awaited.

Manipur Home Secretary J Suresh Babu suspected the involvement of Manipur rebel outfit Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the deadly attack.

Read: Manipur attack on armymen 'very distressing': Prime Minister

"This seems to be the work of PLA, with suspected support by the 'KYKL' group also. We are still waiting for more inputs to come in," he added. Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) is a Meitei revolutionary organization in Manipur.

A reinforcement party of the security forces was rushed to the spot for combing operation to nab the militants, police said.