Assam Havildar Pranay Kalita among 3 jawans martyred in ambush by militants

Guwahati: Pranay Kalita, an Assam Rifles havildar hailing from the Barpeta district of Lower Assam was among the 3 jawans killed in an encounter with Manipuri separatists earlier today.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, condoling the Pranay Kalita's demise said that it is "really shocking" to know the loss of life of a valiant soldier from Assam who became an "innocent victim" to the militants' attack. Sonowal further added that "militancy is not the solution" to any problem.

"This is a testing time for the family of slain jawan Pranay Kalita, as I express my heartfelt empathy with the bereaved family members and pray to God for eternal peace of the departed soul", he added.

At least 3 personnel from 4 Assam Rifles unit lost their lives and four were injured in an ambush by insurgents of the proscribed People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Chandel district, Manipur near the border with Myanmar, on Thursday, July 30. According to reports, the insurgents carried out an improvised explosive device (IED) and then fired at the troops.

Apart from Pranay Kalita, 2 other jawans -- Rifleman Ratan Salam (Manipur) and Rifleman Methna Konyak (Manipur) also succumbed to their injuries; 5 others were injured.

"The incident occurred when the Assam Rifles were returning to their outpost after an operation against the PLA. It was an ambush and they were caught unawares", a source informed The Sentinel Digital.

According to official records, the People's Liberation Army of Manipur, often shortened to just the People's Liberation Army, was founded by the separatist N. Bisheshwar Singh on 25 September 1978.

he PLA is a separatist armed revolutionary group fighting for a separate independent socialist state of Manipur. PLA is also a member of the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front, an umbrella organization of three separatist organizations of Manipur, namely UNLF and PREPAK. The PLA organization has an estimated strength of some 3,800 as of 2008.

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