Four Assam Rifles personnel were killed and 6 others injured when their vehicle was attacked by suspected National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) rebels in Mon district of Nagaland on Sunday afternoon.
According to reports, the Assam Rifles personnel were on their way to fetch water from a river when they were attacked by the rebels with grenades and gunfire near Aboi, 35 km from the district headquarters.
The attack comes at a time when talks between the Centre and pro-talk Naga rebel groups like NSCK (Isak-Muivah) and others are at an advanced stage to find a final solution to the long-pending Naga insurgency.
The Khaplang faction is NSCN, which had a ceasefire agreement with Centre for 15 years, reneged on it in 2015.
Three years back, 8 Assam Rifles jawans were killed and half a dozen others injured in a similar attack by NSCN (K) in Mon district.
Prasanta Patnaik