Post deadly Paraolon village ambush; Army chief rushes in to take stock of situation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 05 2015 :
Even as security forces have today intensified their massive search operation against the underground militants, who ambushed a convoy of 6 Dogra Regiment killing 18 personnel and leaving 11 others injured near Paraolon village in Chandel district yesterday morning, Indian army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag rushed here to take stock of the situation.
Accompanied by 3 Corps GOC Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, Eastern Command GOC-in-C Lt Gen MMS Rai, 57 Mountain Division GOC Maj Gen P Nagesh Rao and IGAR (S) VS Srinivas, Gen Dalbir Singh arrived at Tulihal airport in a special flight of Indian Air Force at around 11 am.
Soon after their arrival, they went straight to Moltuk in Chandel district in an army helicopter to study the ground situation of yesterday's ambush, said a reliable source.
The army chief was briefed by 3 Corps GOC and other high ranking officers of the Indian army about the incident, the source added.
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Gen Suhag directed the Commanders to continue Army activities to maintain peace and tranquillity in Manipur.
Maintaining that yesterday's attack was an unfortunate incident, Gen Suhag however said that such incidents must not be allowed to hamper the activities of the army.
Gen Suhag was also briefed by other army officers posted near the incident site.
After he returned to Imphal, the army chief held a meeting with high ranking army officers at IGAR (South) garrison and chalked out a detailed strategy to sustain targeted operations against the underground cadres to sanitise the area completely.
Gen Suhag left Imphal for New Delhi in the same Indian Air Force flight from Tulihal airport at around 2 pm.
Sources said that the Central Government has ordered the security agencies to launch a major offensive against the UG cadres to flush them out from Manipur completely.
The order was issued after Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval discussed the matter, the source added.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened along Indo-Myanmar border to prevent escape of UG cadres into neighbouring Myanmar through the porous border.
In addition to large number of army and Assam Rifles troops, one company of Para Commando has been pressed into action to track down the UG cadres today.
On the other hand, a massive manhunt continued at Paraolon, Charong, Moltuk and other suspected areas and routes today as well.
However, there is no report of any arrest or gunfight till the time of filing this report.