Guwahati: Two Assam Rifles soldiers laid down their lives for the country, and five others sustained injuries, one of them seriously, in a deadly ambush by well-armed miscreants in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Friday evening.
The attack occurred around 5:47 pm near Nambol Sabal Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Nambol Police Station, approximately 12 km from the state capital, Imphal. The troops were travelling in a 547 Tata truck convoy vehicle from Imphal towards Bishnupur when the assailants struck.
According to reports, the ambush began with the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED), followed by a heavy barrage of small arms fire and attacks using a grenade launcher.
The attackers are suspected to be from the valley region of Manipur.
One soldier died on the spot, while another succumbed to his injuries at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.
Among the five injured jawans, one remains in serious condition and is currently undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
The bodies of the fallen soldiers have been kept at RIMS for post-mortem examination.
Following the incident, Manipur Police and security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation in the area to track down the perpetrators.
A large contingent of reinforcements has been deployed to secure the region and prevent further escalation.
As of now, no underground group has claimed responsibility for the ambush. Authorities have yet to release the names of the casualties.
Further updates are awaited as the situation continues to develop.