Army unit ignored intelligence inputs resulting in the death of 18 soldiers of 6 Dogra in Manipur ambush

New Delhi: A day after 18 soldiers of Indian Army's 6 Dogra infantry regiment were killed in an ambush in Manipur, source said that it was a serious intelligence failure that led to the tragedy. The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) had given inputs of a possible attack but it was apparently not taken seriously.

Assam Rifles reportedly underestimated the threat from Naga terror outfit Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) after the group abrogated the ceasefire earlier in 2015. Sources also say the Army convoy did not follow important security protocols resulting in the huge loss of life. Six of the 18 martyred armymen were from Jammu and Kashmir while seven belonged to Himachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile combing operations to track and hunt down the attackers continue in Chandel district. NSCN-K along with Manipuri outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag was in Imphal on Friday to take stock of the counter insurgency offensive. The Army convoy came under attack from rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons apart from landmines. The fire power was so intense that much of what remained of the convoy or its men was charred beyond recognition.

Preliminary reports indicate violation of the Standard Operating Procedure by the convoy on multiple counts. The Army convoy was on a road opening patrol and was attacked with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The use of sophisticated weapons including RPGs point towards an intelligence failure

The heavy casualties on the Indian side also raise the big question that this was a one-sided loss.

After the army vehicle was damaged, the terrorists used automatic rifles to fire indiscriminately at the soldiers resulting in the heavy casualty. Some terrorists have also been killed in the retaliatory fire by the soldiers.

The attack that is being called one of the worst the Army has faced in almost the last three decades comes close on the heels of the NSCN-K abrogating its ceasefire with the Government of India NSCN-K calling the peace process a 'mockery'.

Many separatist groups operating in the Northeast have come together under United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW). There are at least 40 other armed groups in the region who are either demanding autonomy or are engaged in some kind of a ceasefire.