Guwahati: A major tragedy was averted on Thursday when an Assam Rifle patrol team escaped an improvised explosive device (IED) blast by militants in Tengnoupal district of Manipur.
Security sources said that none of the personnel in the targeted vehicle were injured in the blast.
Informing that the incident took place at around 8.15 am in the general area of Saibol in Tengnoupal district, an area with a mixed population of different communities, security sources said that the attack was carried out by “unidentified insurgents”.
A patrol of the 20 Assam Rifles Battalion from the company operating base in Saibol was out on a routine area domination patrol that had begun early Thursday morning when the incident took place.
Security sources said that Assam Rifle personnel escaped the impact of the IEDb blast as they were travelling in a mine-protected vehicle. The militants also opened fire which was retaliated by the Assam Rifle personnel, security sources said.
Informing that a search operation is underway to find and “neutralise” the assailants, security sources said that this attack on security personnel was more than six months after violence first broke out in Manipur on May 3.
There are a total of 23 Assam Rifles battalions deployed in Manipur since May 3 in areas.
It is significant that in the ongoing conflict in Manipur, the Assam Rifles has found itself at loggerheads with different stakeholders from the Meitei-dominated valley, which have been demanding their removal from the state, accusing that they have been acting in a partisan manner by supporting the Kuki-Zomi community.
