New Delhi: Militants in Manipur ambushed a troop of Assam Rifles after planting an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Saibol area of Tengnoupal district on Thursday morning when the soldiers were conducting a regular patrol.

None of the soldiers were injured because they were travelling in a mine protected vehicle, officials said adding that the IED blast was followed by heavy burst of firing from militants.

“Our soldiers fired back at the militants after which they fled from the spot. Search operation is on. Our troops were not injured because they were moving in a mine protected vehicle,” a senior defence officer who asked not to be named said.

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At around 9.30 am on Thursday, 20 Assam Rifles soldiers were moving from the company’s operating base in Saibol as part of regular patrolling.

“The militants had planted a low intensity IED. They then used small firearms and fired at the Assam Rifles vehicles. Our soldiers retaliated with appropriately force and foiled the attack. Search operation has been launched to trace the attackers,” the official added.

Earlier this month, at least 200 Assam Rifles personnel were airlifted to Moreh town in ethnic strife-torn Manipur as the security forces launched an offensive to flush out militants, especially infiltrators from Myanmar suspected to be involved in recent attacks that killed one senior police officer.

“The additional personnel were air-lifted, some were also sent to Moreh by road as part of the counter-terror measures. They are involved in identifying militants who are hiding in the town or may have crossed into India from the Indo-Myanmar border,” a senior officer aware of the matter had said, requesting anonymity. “Assam Rifles is working with other agencies in the counter-terror operations.”