Eight Assam Rifles men killed in Nagaland militant attack

Eight Assam Rifles personnel were killed, six injured and another four reported missing on Sunday when militants triggered a powerful blast and ambushed a convoy of the paramilitary force at a remote location in Nagaland along the border with Myanmar, officials said.

The incident took place at Changlang Su area in Mon district around 2.30 p.m., when the troopers were proceeding to their company camp from Tobu area.

An Assam Rifles official said the vehicle carrying the personnel and a water tanker had gone to a nearby place to fetch water. At Changlang Su, the militants first triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) at the vehicle and started indiscriminate firing.

"Eight Assam Rifles troopers were killed and six others injured in the attack. Four troopers are reported missing," Nagaland Police chief l.l. Doungel told IANS over phone.

Of the six wounded troopers who received bullet injuries, two were in critical condition, Doungel said.

The Assam Rifles official said there were over 20 personnel in the vehicle.

"Our forces retaliated but eight of our jawans were killed on the spot while four others received injuries. They have been taken to a hospital and an operation has been launched in and around the area," he said.

The militants attacked the troopers with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), a Nagaland police official said. 

Assam Rifles officials suspect the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) to be behind the attack.

The militant outfit had recently unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire agreement with the union government. The outfit had last month also targeted security forces in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.