Guwahati, November 19 (IANS) At least three soldiers were killed after armed militants fired at an army convoy in Assam's Tinsukia district on Saturday morning, defence officials said. Defence spokesman Lt. Col. Suneet Newton said the armed militants first triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) blast before the vehicle was attacked with indiscriminate firing. The incident took place in Pengeri around 5.30 a.m. "Four soldiers were injured during the firing. We rushed them to a local hospital but three of them succumbed to their injuries later," Newton said. Tinsukia Superintendent of Police, Mugdhajyoti Mahanta, said the perpetrators of the incident were the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and an anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militant group. "The militants attacked the convoy with AK-47, RPG, Lethod guns and other sophisticated arms," the spokesperson added. On Wednesday, the suspected militants fired upon a garden vehicle in Pengeri killing one person and injuring two others. Rajnath speaks to Assam CM over militant ambush New Delhi, November 19 (IANS) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal after suspected militants fired at an army convoy in Tinsukia district leaving three soldiers dead and one injured. Singh said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was closely monitoring the situation. "Spoke to Assam CM (Chief Minister Sarbananda) Sonowal who apprised me of the situation in the wake of blast in Tinsukia. MHA is closely monitoring the situation," he said in a tweet. "Deeply anguished to learn of the death of soldiers in a blast in Tinsukia. I pray for the speedy recovery of our injured soldiers," Singh tweeted. According to defence officials, the incident took place at around 5.30 a.m., in the Pengeri area of Tinsukia. Locals said that the militants fired at the vehicle from both sides of the road, which are forested areas. On Wednesday, militants attacked a van of the Pengeri tea estate, killing one person and injuring two others.
