Suspected militants on Sunday targeted security personnel in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district at India’s border with Myanmar, reported NDTV. One Assam Rifles soldier was killed and another was injured in the ambush around 9.40 am, the police said.
The incident occurred at Tengmo village, about 300 km from Itanagar, under Jairampur police station’s jurisdiction. “The incident took place on Sunday morning,” the district police chief said. “One security forces jawan was martyred. Another one is injured. A massive combing operation is on in the area and we have also intensified counter insurgency operations as well.”
No one has taken responsibility for the attack, but district authorities and security personnel suspect that 30 to 35 members of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent carried it out, reported The Hindu. The attack was led by Paresh Baruah and the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K).
“A water tanker of the 19 Assam Rifles that was travelling to Hetlong village to fetch water came under attack,” Changlang District Magistrate Devansh Yadav said. “We received reports that there was an explosion, but this cannot be confirmed until we receive the autopsy report. In all likelihood, the death was caused by bullet.”
A defence spokesperson said the injured soldier was admitted to a government hospital in Changlang. However, the total number of soldiers travelling in the vehicle is still unclear.
In May last year, suspected militants had carried out a similar attack on an Assam Rifles water tanker in Nagaland’s Mon district. Two security personnel were killed and three were injured in the incident.
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