GUWAHATI, 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 a fierce gunbattle between the insurgents and Army personnel.
Police said that the attack took place at around 9.20am 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.