Narrow escape for Assam Rifles patrol in Manipur

It was a narrow escape for a patrol of 12 Assam Rifles in Manipur's border district of Chandel when insurgents tried to ambush them using a remote-controlled bomb on Sunday, officials said.

Bomb experts from Imphal later rushed there and defused the bomb.

Intelligence sources told IANS that at 2 p.m., the patrolling personnel discerned that a bomb was buried at the side of the village road leading to Kwatha Khnnuou, a little distance away from the Trans-Asian highway No. 1.

Police said that there might have been some other bombs buried along the road or hung from the tree branches.

With the arrival of the additional Assam Rifles personnel, a search operation was launched in the nearby areas. However, no suspects were detected. A police officer told IANS that the insurgents must have slipped away towards the no man's land.

There have been some sensational ambushes against the security forces claiming several lives. Attacking security peronnel along the highway linking Manipur to Myanmar in this district have been a recurring feature.

To check the free movement of the insurgents along the international border, the construction of a 10 km long border fence was started at Moreh. However it was suspended when it was established that the fence was being constructed deep inside Manipur. While over 10 villages would be affected, one village in the state's Ukhrul district, namely Choro Khunnou would entirely go to Myanmar.

Police have registered a case. There has been no claim from any insurgent group of the bomb planting.

--IANS

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