IMPHAL, February 23: An Assam Rifles Post at Saivon Village under Tengnoupal police station of Chandel District was severely attacked by an underground outfit suspected to be the armed wing of the People’s Liberation Army of Revolutionary people’s Front (RPF) in the intervening night between February 22-23at around 1 a.m.
According to information received by IFP, taking advantage of the darkness of the night, a large number of unidentified underground cadres came on foot from three directions and attack the the AR post belonging to 24 BN personnel. The attackers carried out the attack using rocket and grenade launchers besides the use of light machine gun (LMG). However AR personnel at the post have not suffered heavy casualties in the attack. It is said that only two personnel from among the personnel on night sentry duty were wounded by the bullets of the UG guns though the attack led to damage of some items, including the barrack at the post.
The source further said that when the UG cadres began to attack by taking position, AR personnel fired in retaliation and the shootout erupted for a while. Till the filing of this report, it cannot be ascertained whether the attackers suffered casualties. However, AR personnel conducted a search operation in the areas where the UG outfit had attacked later in the morning following the incident and could recover loaded small arms. The AR personnel also conducted a search operation in some villages close to their post but arrest of any person has not been reported as yet.