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Ulfa, NSCN and two others own responsibility for Manipur ambush

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Manipur ambush was deadliest militant attack on Army in 33 years

Charred weapons of the jawans of 6 Dogra at the attack site. (AFP photo)

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Deadly terror attacks on security forces in Manipur

List of the 18 jawans of 6 Dogra who were killed in the ambush are:

GUWAHATI: The Leimakhong (Manipur)-based 57 Mountain Division of the Army launched one of the biggest combing operations in the hilly terrain of the state which shares a 353km porous border with Myanmar on the east after militants ambushed a convoy of 6 Dogra infantry regiment on Thursday morning in which 18 soldiers died and 15 others were injured.Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag arrived in Imphal on Friday morning to review the situation even as NSCN (K) and two Meitei outfits Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) have claimed responsibility for the ambush in a joint statement.Ulfa (I) leader Paresh Baruah on Thursday had made a similar claim that the ambush was carried out from the instructions of NSCN (K) supremo SS Khaplang, who is also the chairman of the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW), a newly-floated conglomerate of four outfits, NSCN (K), Ulfa (I), NDFB (S) and KLO.The NSCN (K)-KYKL-KCP statement said that the “combined team of 'elite strike unit' of Naga army, KYKL and KCP assaulted five vehicle convoy of 6th Dogra regiment on June 4 at Tengnoupal–New Somtal road under Chandel district of Manipur” and this was “in sync with each corresponding assertion for self-determination and sovereignty.” According to the statement, the ambush started at 6am and lasted till around 10am.Intelligence inputs had earlier suggested the ambush was carried out by a 15-member group of KYKL with weaponry support from NSCN (Khaplang).Soon after the deadly attack, Military Intelligence received inputs about a heavily-armed KYKL group spotted moving away from the site of the incident. The group was led by self-styled "lieutenant" Tamba and was heading towards the Thantapin village. The group is believed to have moved eastwards and crossed the international border from somewhere south of T Minou village in Manipur, which is south of the India-Myanmar border town of Tamu in Myanmar.The inputs stated that the group was equipped with RPGs and other sophisticated weapons. The vehicles in which the Army jawans were travelling were hit by RPGs and the KYKL does not possess the sophisticated weapons and in all probability these were provided by NSCN (K). Moreover, the village where the ambush took place is a Naga village, the source said.On the other hand, KYKL is among six other Meiti outfits, who form another umbrella organization called CorCom. All these Meitei outfits and those of UNLFW have bases in western part of Myanmar bordering India. Khaplang enjoys a suspension of operation agreement with Myanmar, which was signed in 2012.The Army's 57th Mountain Division or the Red Shield Division based at Leimakhong near Imphal is commanding troops deployed in half of Manipur's areas and has three brigades operating in Tamenglong, Churachandpur, and Bishnupur districts in the district.While the Army comes under the defence ministry, the Assam Rifles, being a paramilitary force and under the MHA, is operating the long porous India-Myanmar border in the hill ranges of Chandel, Ukhrul, and Churachandpur districts under the supervision of the force's inspector general (south) in the headquarters based in Imphal.1. Nb Sub Ram Singh — 39 years — Samba (J&K)2. Hav Prakash Chand — 36 years — Mandi (Himachal Pradesh)3. Hav Sat Pal Bhasin — 39 years — Jammu4. Hav Sunil Kumar Sharma — 33 — Rajouri (J&K)5. Hav Rajesh Kumar — 34 years — Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh)6. Hav Randeep Singh — 38 years — Jammu7. Nk Ashok Kumar — 35 years — Sirmour (Himachal Pradesh)8. L Nk Rajneesh Singh — 34 years — Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)9. Sep (HK) Ram Prasad Yadav — 39 years — Faizabad (UP)10. L Nk Kuldeep Raj — 33 years — Jammu11. Sep Manoj Kumar — 31 years — Mandi (Himachal Pradesh)12. Sep Vijay Kumar — 27 years — Jammu13. Sep Vijay Bhardwaj — 26 years — Mandi (Himachal Pradesh)14. Sep Sohan Singh — 26 years — Sirmour (Himachal Pradesh)15. Cfn (VM) Bharateshwar P — 31 years — Belgaum (Karnataka)16. Sep (driver) Jeetendra Kumar Kushwaha — 26 years — Rewa (MP)17. Hav Jagveer Singh — 39 years — GB Nagar (UP)18. Sep Manjit Singh — 26 years — Pathankot (Punjab)