Arunachal Pradesh: Suspected NSCN (K) terrorists open fire at Assam Rifles camp in Tirap, no casualties reported

Itanagar: Just three days after a deadly attack on an Army convoy in Manipur, 40 suspected NSCN (Khaplang) terrorists on Sunday opened fire at an Assam Rifles camp in remote Lazu area in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Army also retaliated and no casualties have been reported so far, said Tirap district Superintendent of Police Ajit Kumar Singla.

"The AR personnel, who were on alert as per prior intelligence report, retaliated which compelled the terrorists to flee under cover of darkness," Singla said adding, cross firing from both the sides lasted for about ten minutes.

Around 70 empty cartridges of AK-47 rifle, along with unexploded bombs, were recovered from the site, he said.

In the worst such attack in two decades, insurgents on Thursday ambushed a military convoy in Manipur's Chandel district killing at least 18 army personnel and injuring 11 others.

Naga insurgent outfit NSCN (K), with which the Centre abrogated ceasefire in March, has claimed responsibility for the ambush in Manipur. The militant outfit in a release dated June 4, which was circulated in the media on Friday, claimed that the attack was a joint operation by it, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup and Kangleipak Communist Party.

A team of 6 Dogra Regiment was on a road opening patrol (ROP) as part of its daily routine along Tengnoupal-New Samtal road, about 80 km from Imphal, when it was attacked by an unidentified insurgent outfit first with a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED), a police official said here.

After the IED blast, the insurgents resorted to heavy firing at the convoy of four Army vehicles with RPGs and automatic weapons, Army sources said.

The attack occurred at around 9 AM when the convoy reached a place between Paralong and Charong villages.

After the ceasefire abrogation in March this year, NSCN(K) had on May 3 attacked and killed nine Assam Rifles personnel in Mon district. Another AR personnel was killed in Kohima on May 6 by the insurgent outfit, while four personnel of the para-military force were injured in an attack by the group at Kohima in April.