Two jawans of the Assam Rifles were killed and two other were injured after a joint group of armed terrorists ambushed a convoy of the security forces at a remote area near Jairampur in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border even as the security forces could gun down two armed terrorists involved in the attack.
Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay said that security forces launched an offensive against the terrorists involved in the attack and could gun down two of them before they could make good their escape.
“The terrorists planned the ambush on the security forces. The first attacked with grenades and IED and then resorted to indiscriminate firing killing two of the AR personnel and injuring two others. later the police and security forces, who retaliated immediately could neutralize two terrorists and recover two weapons from their possession,” Sahay said.
He informed that some tourist vehicles, which were also passing by the area, also came under attack but no one was injured and they were escourted to safety.
“We have put restriction of the plying of vehicles in the area due to the operation and situation is under control now,” the DGP said adding that although there was no specific information about the attack the police and security personnel had already intensified vigil particularly along the Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in the run up to Republic Day celebrations.
Tinsukia Superintendent of Police MJ Mahanta said that there was an armed group of a15 to 20 militants behind the attack. “Two of them could be neutralised but operation is still on,” he said adding that operation has also been intensified in and around the villages in Arunachal Pradesh also with the help of Arunachal Pradesh police.
The security forces has also used a helicopter to assist the police and security forces on the ground to carry out the counter insurgency operations.
Immediately after the incident, the umbrella platform of the northeastern terrorists outfits—commonly known as United liberation Front of West Eastern South East Asia (UNlFW) claimed responsibility for the attack. A statement issued by the UNlW to the media said that Coordination Committee (CorCom), United liberation Front Of Asom—a constituent member of UNlFW, undertook the attack, called Operation BARAK against the security forces on Sunday.