An Indian Army Colonel, his wife and son, and four soldiers were killed in an ambush by terrorists near the border with Myanmar in Manipur. The terror attack - one of the deadliest in the region in recent times - took place at 10 am in Manipur's Churachandpur district, sources have said.

The Commanding Officer of 46 Assam Rifles, Colonel Viplav Tripathy, had gone to a forward camp on Saturday and was returning when his convoy was ambushed, sources said.

Manipur-based terrorist group People's Liberation Army, or PLA, is believed to be behind the attack, though no group has claimed responsibility yet, sources have said.

Intermittent firing is going on, police sources told NDTV. This is the first time that civilians have died in an ambush in this remote area of the district. The location is an extremely remote village around 50 km from Churachandpur.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condemned the attack and gave his condolences. "The cowardly attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur, Manipur is extremely painful and condemnable. 

The nation has lost 5 brave soldiers including CO 46 AR and two family members. My condolences to the bereaved families. The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon," Mr Singh tweeted.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted a counter-operation has been launched to track down the terrorists.

Manipur, like many of the north-eastern states, is home to several armed groups, fighting for either greater autonomy or secession. For decades, the Army has been deployed to the area that has borders with China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

In 2015, 20 soldiers were killed in an attack by terrorists in Manipur, after which the Army launched a surgical strike on their camp.

Source: NDTV

BDST: 1614 HRS, NOV 13, 2021
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