Nine Assam Rifles jawans were killed in an ambush by suspected militants in Assam'sTinsukia district bordering Arunachal Pradesh today. Another jawan was injuredand admitted to hospital, according to official sources.
The jawans were driving up from the Changlang camp in Arunachal Pradesh, andinitially tried to retaliate, but they were overcome by the firepower of theultras who kept up the barrage for an hour.
The militants reportedly fired from AK-47s and machine guns and hurled grenades fromboth sides of the road at the truck of the 28 Assam Rifles, 2 kilometres insideAssam.
The bodies are yet to identified as they were charred by the grenade blasts.
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The militants reportedly took away all the arms and ammunition of the jawans.
The truck was completely wrecked. Although no one has yet claimedresponsibility, the police suspect that these could be a combination ofmilitants from the ULFA and the Issac-Muivah faction of the NSCN.
In the past two months, ULFA attacks have increased in Assam and there aremany reports of ULFA demanding protection money.
K Padmanabhaiah, the centre's principal negotiator, is already in Bangkok fortalks with the NSCN(I-M) chief T Muviah. Padmanabhaiah and the centre'sfour-year old ceasefire with the NSCN(I-M) is due to end on July 31.
The last round of talks in the third week of May had broken down after theNSCN(I-M) demanded that the ceasefire be extended to all parts of the Northeast.New Delhi has so far refused an extension. as it has been argued thatextending the ceasefire beyond Nagaland will amount to acknowledging themilitants' political demand for a greater Nagaland state.
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Many believe that the recent spurt in violence in the Northeast could partlybe attributed to the approaching end of ceasefire period and the failure toreach a settlement.
