'Rebels kill 15 Indian soldiers'

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

It is the second attack during the elections (Photo by David Mayum)

Fifteen paramilitary troops have been killed by separatist rebels in India's north-eastern state of Manipur, officials have said.

They said the troops were returning from a village to the state capital, Imphal, after Friday's final polling round for the state assembly.

It is not yet clear which of Manipur's many separatist groups may have carried out the attack.

Earlier this month, six policemen were killed in Manipur by suspected rebels.

Ambush

The convoy of the paramilitary India Reserve Battalion was returning from election duty in the hill district of Tamenglong to Imphal when it came under heavy fire near the village of Zouzantek.

The officials said the troops fired back and fought, but two of their vehicles were completely destroyed by the rebels who hurled grenades and fired machine guns from both sides of the hill road.

The officials said 10 soldiers died on the spot and four on the way to hospital.

The condition of three more was said to be serious and doctors said the death toll could well rise.

Abduction

This is the second attack on security forces by separatist rebels in Manipur during the three phases of the state assembly elections that took place this month.

The UNLF has claimed responsibility for the attack

Six central reserve policemen were killed in the first attack in the hill district of Ukhrul in mid-February.

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) - Manipur's oldest and strongest rebel group - claimed responsibility for that attack.

Intelligence officials say they were not too sure whether the UNLF was also involved in the attack on Saturday.

This is because the district of Tamenglong is a stronghold of the rebels of the Naga tribe, who were responsible for some violence during and before the elections on Friday and also the abduction of a candidate earlier in the week.