15 security men killed in Manipur ambush

IMPHAL: In a major strike by insurgents, 15 security personnel on poll duty were killed and six others injured in an ambush on a security convoy in Manipur's Bishenpur district on Saturday.

Official sources said 14 security personnel were killed on the spot when about 20 insurgents of an unidentified outfit, hiding on a hill top threw powerful grenades and fired upon a party of the 1st India Reserve Battalion personnel at Joujangtek area of the district, about 35 km south of here, at around 10.10 am.

Seven other security personnel were injured by splinters in the heavy exchange of fire between the two sides that lasted for two hours and one of them succumbed to his wounds at the JN Hospital here.

The security personnel led by Commandant D Dhiren were returning in six vehicles to their camps in Churachandpur district after their poll duty at Khoupum polling station in Tamenglong district, the sources said.

Two of the dead personnel were havildars identified as Jhaljit Singh and Kholi Mao, the sources said.

The polling personnel posted at Khoupum polling station had left for Tamenglong district headquarters with election materials, including EVMs by another road. The EVMs and the election materials were being taken to the office of the deputy commissioner.

Earlier reports had said the IRB personnel were escorting polling personnel.

The insurgents were reported to have snatched some automatic rifles.