Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today inspected the site of yesterday's deadly ambush in Manipur's chandel district in which 18, including 17 Army men and a suspected militant, were killed and 11 others injured, as security personnel intensified combing operations to track down the insurgents.
The Army chief who came here from Delhi was briefed by G O C 3 corps on his arrival, after which he left for the ambush site, Assam Rifles sources said.
The general had a short discussion with the officers of the Army and Assam Rifles to work out a plan for operation and the future course of action.
Police sources said the search operations were being conducted at Paralong, Charong, Moltuh and some other areas to track down the insurgents who had launched the biggest attack on the army jawans in two decades using landmines, rocket- propelled grenades and automatic weapons.
Meanwhile, police PRO R K Tutusana said that the Army had lodged a complaint with the Tengnoupal police station about the ambush.
A senior Chandel police officer said that police personnel who had rushed to the spot, located deep inside the jungles, following reports of the attack, had returned yesterday with the bodies of those killed.
The officer said 17 of the bodies belonged to personnel of the 6th Dogra regiment and one was that of a miliant who was involved in the ambush.
It is, however, yet to be known which outfit the insurgent belonged to.
The place where the ambush took place yesterday is deep inside the forests and the militants had escaped into it. The area is about 15-20 km from the border.
The focus currently is to send back bodies of the martyred soldiers and sanitise the area completely, the sources said.
Naga insurgent outfit NSCN (Khaplang), with which the Centre abrogated ceasefire in March, has claimed responsibility for yesterday's ambush.
The militant outfit in a release dated June 4, which was circulated in the media today, claimed that the attack yesterday was a joint operation by it, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup and Kangleipak Communist Party.
