Imphal: In a tragic incident, atleast 20 jawans of the Indian Army were killed and 11 others injured in an ambush by militants in the Chandel district of Manipur on Thursday.
Sources said that a team of 6 Dogra Regiment was moving out on a posing to Chandigarh when it was ambushed near Myanmar border by unidentified insurgents.
The attackers who are believed to be from Myanmar fled across the border after the incident, the source added.
The incident that is the worst attack on the Indian Army in past 16 years took place at around 8:30 am on the Tengnoupal-New Samtal road, about 80 kms from Imphal, and the jawans were attacked by powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
An army spokesman said that the militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at the four-vehicle convoy when it reached a place between Paraolon and Charong villages near Motul.
The dead included 1 junior commissioned officer, 7 other ranks, 1 signal constable, 1 army service corps driver. Most of the bodies were charred.
A spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence informed that the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has condemned the attack and assured that those who committed the cowardly act will be brought to book.
Parrikar conveyed his deepest condolence to bereaved families of the brave Army men who lost their lives and said, “Army will continue to work towards bringing peace and normalcy to the state of Manipur.”
A Ministry of Defence release further added: “The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has condemned the attack on the Army personnel in Manipur today and assured that those who have committed this cowardly act will be brought to book. He said the Army will continue to work towards bringing peace and normalcy to the State. The Minister has conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the brave Army men who lost their lives today.”
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Army Chief Dalbir Singh are meeting at the MHA to discuss the situations arising post the attack.
The injured jawans were air-lifted by the Army for treatment even as the reinforcement party of the security forces rushed to the spot for combing operation to nab the militants.
