Manipur attack: Army sealing international border with Myanmar to trap guerillas who ambushed 20 soldiers
Sandeep Unnithan June 4, 2015 | UPDATED 22:48 IST
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Eighteen Indian Army soldiers died after their convoy was ambushed on Thursday morning by a group of unidentified guerillas in Manipur's Chandel district. The 6th battalion of the Dogra Regiment was deinducting from Moltok valley when it was ambushed. Watch Photos
Army sources in the Eastern Command say that the ambush was carried out by 15 cadres of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) a Meitei outfit formed in 1994.
Intelligence intercepts indicate Thursday's ambush was carried out by a self-styled 'Lieutenant' Tamba who is now headed for a village south of Tamu in Myanmar after the ambush. Army sources indicate the guerillas were equipped with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and M79 grenade launcher colloquially called a 'Lathode gun'. The army has rushed forces to Chandel district to seal the border and cut off the escape of the guerillas who plan to cross Libung and head into Myanmar.
The KYKL is closely aligned to the NSCN-K that broke off a 14-year ceasefire with the government this April. Since then, it has begun activating its cadres and rebel factions aligned to it. On May 3, eight Assam Rifles soldiers were ambushed and killed by NSCN-K rebels in Nagaland.
Thursday's ambush is the largest loss of lives in a single day since a June 28, 2003 fidayeen attack, also on a Dogra regiment unit, in Sunjwan, Jammu where 12 soldiers were killed.
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