The Assam Rifles on Thursday denied that eight of its troopers had been killed in a gunfight with Manipuri rebels as claimed by the group. In a statement, the Assam Rifles said that one person, identified as Jamkhothong Bai Te (65), was injured and had to be evacuated to the border town of Moreh for treatment after the encounter with United National Liberation Front militants in interior Chandel district of Manipur on Tuesday.
It said that rebels of the Manipur People's Army, the armed wing of the UNLF, came from across the Myanmar border and a gunfight took place at Gamphazol village.
The firing was completely ineffective, the statement said, adding that the group, under tremendous pressure due to operations at nearby Somtal area, was indulging in false propaganda to raise the sagging morale of its cadres.
Earlier, the UNLF had said that during the heavy exchange of fire, eight AR personnel had been killed and several others were wounded.
There have been frequent gunfights between the two sides since 'Operation Khengjoi' was launched in the area on December 5, 2006.
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