Dimapur, May 3 (IANS) Eight Assam Rifles personnel were killed and four others injured when militants triggered a powerful blast and ambushed a convoy of the security forces at a remote location in Nagaland on Sunday, officials said.
The incident took place at Changlang Su area in Mon district around 2.30 p.m.
“A vehicle carrying the Assam Rifles personnel and a water tanker had gone to a nearby place to fetch water. At Changlang Su, the militants first triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) at the vehicle and started indiscriminate firing,” an official said.
There were over 20 Assam Rifles personnel in the vehicle, he said.
“Our forces retaliated but eight of our jawans were killed on the spot while four others received injuries. They have been taken to a hospital and an operation has been launched in and around the area,” he said.
The Assam Rifles officials suspect the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) to be behind the attack.
The militant outfit had recently abrogated from the ceasefire agreement with the union government. The outfit had last month also targeted security forces in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.