Itanagar: Suspected NSCN (K) militants fired on Sunday at an Assam Rifles (AR) camp in remote Lazu area in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, three days after the group ambushed an army convoy killing 18 soldiers.
A group of 35 NSCN (Khaplang) rebels attacked the camp in the Indo-Myanmar border region around 2.30am, Tirap SP Ajit Kumar Singla said.
However, there was no report of any casualty, he said. Just three days ago, militants armed with advanced weapons ambushed a military convoy in Manipur's Chandel district bordering Myanmar, killing at least 18 soldiers and injuring 11 others as officials called it one of the worst such attacks on the army.
"The AR personnel, who were on alert as per prior intelligence report, retaliated which compelled the militants to flee under cover of darkness," Singla said adding, cross firing from both the sides lasted for about ten minutes. Around 70 empty cartidges of AK-47 rifle, along with unexploded bombs, were recovered from the site, he said.
A massive search operation was underway in the area after the incident.Encounters with armed forces and ambushes have returned to haunt the Northeast after the NSCN(K) junked a 14-year-old ceasefire in March.
Since then, security personnel have struggled to contain unrest despite the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act giving them extraordinary powers and legal immunity – a factor that activist Irom Sharmila said was responsible for the attack.
