IED blast on Assam Rifles convoy kills three personnel in Nagaland's Chumoukedima

Three Assam Rifles personnel were martyred and several others sustained injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a convoy in Nagaland's Chumoukedima district on Monday, July 13, officials said. The attack took place near Sokhuvi village and triggered a major security operation in the area.

According to initial reports, unidentified miscreants targeted the moving Assam Rifles convoy by hurling an IED, resulting in a powerful explosion. Three personnel were killed on the spot, while several others were injured. The injured have been shifted for medical treatment, although their condition has not yet been officially disclosed.

The incident marks the second IED attack targeting security forces in the district within the past week, raising fresh concerns over militant activity in the region.

Retired Army officer Major Digvijay Singh Rawat, a Kirti Chakra awardee, claimed on social media that the attack was carried out by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) [NSCN-IM] and alleged that the outfit has collaborated with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in previous attacks on security forces.

"Second IED blast within a week by NSCN(IM) over Assam Rifles convoy at Chumoukedima, Nagaland. ULFA & NSCN have been working together in many ambushes in past over security forces," Rawat wrote in a post on X.

However, there has been no official confirmation regarding the involvement of any insurgent group, and no organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Following the blast, personnel from the Assam Rifles and the Dimapur Police launched a joint search operation to trace those responsible. Security has also been intensified in and around the attack site.

Further details are awaited as investigations into the incident continue.