At least three rebels were killed and one trooper of 13 Assam Rifles was wounded in a fierce encounter on Thursday morning in Tamenglong district. Additional forces have rushed there to comb the nearby areas. The casualty figure may rise.
Sources said that based on intelligence inputs, the troopers of 13 Assam Rifles garrisoned at Tamenglong district cordoned off a temporary camp of the rebels of Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) at Nungkao in Tamenglong district. As the sentry of the rebels spotted the approaching troopers at 4 a.m. on Thursday the rebels opened fire towards them. There were immediate retaliations from the Assam Rifles troopers.
After some hours the rebels had fled through the mountains and rain forests. The troopers found three dead bodies. One personnel also sustained minor injuries. The injured personnel was airlifted to the military hospital. Details are awaited.
Since the encounter site is located along Assam-Manipur border Assam Rifles troopers in Silchar district of Assam would be rushed there. The Zeliangrong tribe is found in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. Sources cannot say which state the fleeing rebels had escaped to.
