One AR man killed, one hurt in PLA attack

Source:

Imphal, March 22 2013: One Assam Rifles personnel has been killed while another sustained injuries in a powerful bomb attack triggered by the banned PLA near Warokching Thongkhong at Chandrakhong road about 6 Kms East of Yairipok police station in Thoubal district at about 9.55 am today.

According to a source, the bomb was a remote-controlled IED weighing around 10 Kgs and it was planted about 2 feet off the road side.

Havildar Mahendar Singh (40) from Chamoli district, Uttarakhand and Sepoy Purva Tamang (32) from Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh sustained injuries in the bomb attack and they were airlifted to Leimakhong military hospital in a hospital.

Mahender succumbed to the injuries later.

Information culled from the spot said that some unidentified persons hinted about the presence of explosives and warned villagers not to go towards the direction where the bomb was planted.

Acting on this tip-off, a large number of womenfolk came out and blocked movement of vehicles and people on either side of the road along which the bomb was supposedly planted this morning.

At about 8.30 am, a police team led by Yairipok Police OC and a commando team stationed at Thoubal came and scanned the area.

The post commander of 15 AR post at Yairipok also arrived at the scene.

They were joined by 15 AR CO Avineet Singh Kapoor at about 9.50 am.

Shortly after, two AR personnel went to the spot where the bomb was planted, unknowingly.

At that time, some media persons and police personnel were already present there just about 30 metres away from the spot where the bomb was planted.

The moment the two AR personnel reached the spot, the bomb exploded suddenly inflicting serious injuries to the two personnel.

They were immediately airlifted to Leimakhong military hospital but Havildar Mahender succumbed to the injuries on the way.

After the explosion, media persons who were already present there were not allowed to cover the incident and their cameras were confiscated.

Nevertheless, after the injured were evacuated, the cameras were returned only after removing the tapes.

Later, IG AR (South) Maj Gen UK Gurung also came and inspected the blast site.

Bomb disposal squad of Manipur Police too arrived and scanned the area in case any more explosive was present there.

This was followed by a protest demonstration by civil populace of the area at Yairipok Bazar in denunciation of the bomb attack.

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/one-ar-man-killed-one-hurt-in-pla-attack/