20 armymen of 6 Dogra killed in ambush by terrorists in Chandel district of Manipur

Chandel: In a major ambush in Manipur's Chandel district on Thursday morning, 20 armymen of 6 Dogra Regiment were killed and 11 others injured in an attack by terrorists. The ambush, the deadliest terror attack on an Army convoy in over 20 years, occurred at 7:30 AM on Thursday.

A total 16 other soldiers are believed to have survived the attack which took place near Moltuk on the Indo-Myanmar border. The injured jawans were airlifted by the Army for treatment, Manipur Police said.

The ambush was laid by an unidentified terrorist outfit under Tengnoupal Police Station in the district. Sources said terrorists used heavy firepower in the attack. The Army convoy was a road opening party and was attacked with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). After the army vehicle was damaged, the terrorists used automatic rifles to fire indiscriminately at the soldiers resulting in the heavy casaulty. Some terrorists have also been killed in the retaliatory fire by the soldiers.

The army and security forces have intensified combing operations in and around the area.

Since there is no ceasefire agreement with any of the terror groups operating in the area, so senior officials believe that two or three terror groups could have carried out the attack.

The terror groups, in fact, help each other by supplying firearms, explosives, providing hideouts and sharing training facilities.

Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Today’s mindless attack in Manipur is very distressing. I bow to each and every soldier who has sacrificed his life for the Nation."