Imphal: Unidentified insurgents Monday ambushed a patrol party of Manipur police commandos at an interior village in Imphal east district, official sources said.
However, no casualty was reported.
Sources said some insurgents who were allegedly planting an improvised explosive device (IED) at a roadside at Andro area saw a team of police commandos, attached to Andro police outpost, coming towards them.
The insurgents then hid near a roadside bush and exploded the powerful bomb when the commandos came near them by using a remote-controlled device, first official reports said adding that the commandos who were in three vehicles got down and opened fire at the fleeing insurgents.
A vehicle belonging to the commandos was damaged by bomb splinters, reports said adding that no one was injured. The insurgents escaped into the nearby jungles, reports said.
Official sources said the incident occurred while the commandos were patrolling the area and were going towards Yairipok area as part of routine work.
Some persons in the nearby paddy fields were rounded up for questioning as a wire, which was reportedly connected to the bomb, was found near a paddy field, sources added.
Police forces from Andro post and nearby security posts launched a massive search operation but no arrest was made.
No individual or group has so far claimed responsibility for the crime but police suspected that it was the handiwork of banned People`s Liberation Army (PLA) which also exploded a powerful bomb at Tiddim area near here yesterday.
Police said suspected PLA insurgents had exploded more than five bombs at different places this month in which one security jawan was killed and another injured besides some civilians.
PTI
