Jawan killed in Manipur ambush minutes before Modi's visit

, Feb 8: An Assam Rifles

was

and three others were seriously injured when insurgents ambushed a paramilitary force party at Lambisa in

's Ukhrul district today. Insurgents exploded a powerful bomb and opened fire at the road opening party of 44th Assam Rifles battalion, killing one jawan and injuring three others, officials said. When the security forces returned fire, an encounter ensued lasting about an hour, they said.

The insurgents blasted a bomb and opened fire, leading to an hour-long encounter

The injured jawans were taken to hospital. Insurgents ambushed the security patrol minutes before the arrival of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to address a rally in Imphal. Charging that people of the state were being "suppressed" by central forces in the name of dealing with insurgents, militant outfit United Revolutionary Front had given a call for boycotting Modi's visit.

Modi gave his first speech in the Manipur capital after his anointment as the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP.

[Read: What Modi said in his Imphal speech]

PTI