Coupled with a “growing influx” of illegal Chinese-made weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines and grenades myanmar, who are also making their way to Indian insurgent groups based on the border, the ambush raised alarm bells in the Indian security establishment here.
Even when a massive operation was launched to nab the militants, the Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and army chief general MM NaravaneOther people were also informed about the ambush. Incidentally, Indian and Myanmar armies are regularly conducting coordinated operations to flush out terrorists along their 1,643-km-long border.
“An incident where family members have also been targeted has happened after a long time in the North-East. In all likelihood, the insurgents infiltrated into India from the Myanmar border, a senior official said.
“The attack will lead to a rethinking of strategy to deal with insurgent organizations in the north-east in general and the VBIG (Valley-based insurgent groups in Manipur such as the People’s Liberation Army and). prepack (People’s Revolutionary Party of Kanglipak) in particular,” he said.
Col Tripathi, his family and their rapid response team had gone in a convoy of four vehicles to the forward operating base of his 46 Assam Rifles Battalion in Behiang area near the Indo-Myanmar border on Friday. Another official said, “There was also a program in a village in the area.”
Col Tripathi’s convoy was ambushed on Saturday morning while returning to the battalion headquarters at Khuga. “With advance reconnaissance for the attack, the rebels would have kept a close watch on the movement of the convoy. First there was an IED explosion and then heavy bullets were fired from different directions on the convoy.
With the improvement in the internal security situation in Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and large parts of Assam over the years, the Army has gradually removed over 14 infantry battalions as well as two division headquarters from counter-insurgency operations. . Line of Actual Control with China in the eastern sector.
Anti-militancy operations in these areas have been taken over by the Assam Rifles, which is under the operational control of the Army but administratively under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The paramilitary force guards the border with Myanmar as well as conducts counter-insurgency operations with the military.
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