HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Nov 14: Rebels of the United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I) attacked an Army vehicle on the Digboi – Pengeri road in Tinsukia district on Monday resulting in a fierce gun battle between the insurgents and Army personnel.
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Police said that the attack took place around 9:20 am when the bullet-proof Army vehicle which was part of a convoy was passing through the road. The incident site is around 50 km away from Tinsukia town.
As per reports, the ULFA-I rebels first lobbed a grenade at the vehicle causing a blowout of one of the tyres.
The explosion was so powerful that a deep crater was formed on the road. As the vehicle came to a halt the insurgents began firing with automatic rifles, police said.
The soldiers too jumped out from the vehicle and launched a fierce counter-attack forcing the rebels to retreat.
Senior Army and police officials including DIG (North-East range) Jitmol Doley and Tinsukia SP Abhijeet Gurav immediately rushed to the spot with heavy reinforcements. The entire area including the road was cordoned off and a search operation was launched to nab the rebels.
Tinsukia SP Abhijeet Gurav said, “The ULFA (I) rebels fired at a bullet-proof vehicle of the Army taking cover of the thick jungles along the Digboi-Pengeri road. The Army also counter-attacked, forcing them to flee. There was no casualty or injuries to the soldiers. Our search operation is underway.”
On November 19, 2016, the ULFA (I) had carried out a similar attack in the same area on the Digboi-Pengeri road in which three soldiers of the Kumaon regiment were killed while four others were critically injured.
