Posted on 08/20/2002 1:12:24 AM PDT by HAL9000
NEW DELHI, India, Aug 20, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- At least 19 soldiers were killed and five more injured Tuesday in an ambush by unidentified rebels in the remote northeastern state of Tripura, police said.
The soldiers were traveling by road when they were attacked by an unknown number of armed rebels, 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Agartala, the state capital, Press trust of India quoted police as saying.
At least 19 soldiers were killed instantly, police said. The five injured were taken to hospitals in Agartala.
The rebels stole at least 19 weapons, including machine guns and ammunition the soldiers were carrying, then fled into the nearby forested mountains, the news agency said.
Police and paramilitary soldiers were sent to the remote area to search for the attackers.
More than a dozen guerrilla groups are fighting separatist wars in India's seven northeastern states. The groups complain of alienation, neglect by the federal government and threats to their indigenous cultures.
While there were no immediate reports of who was responsible for Tuesday's attack, the main rebel group in that area is the National Liberation Front of Tripura, which is fighting for an independent tribal homeland. It operates out of bases inside neighboring Bangladesh, staging hit-and-run guerrilla strikes on soldiers.
More than 25,000 people have been killed in the fighting in the northeastern states since 1948.
Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved
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