The 18 soldiers who were killed belonged to the 6 Dogra infantry regiment
Investigation into Thursday's attack on an Army convoy in Manipur that killed 18 soldiers, indicates it was led by Starson Lamkang, a self-styled kilonser or 'minister' of the NSCN(K), along with other valley-based militants.
The attack appears to be the first strike of a newly-formed umbrella group called the United Liberation Front of Western South Asia comprising the National Socialist Council of Nagaland or NSCN(K), the Paresh Baruah faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam or ULFA, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songajit) and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation.
The Army assesses that at least 50 militants took part in the attack, which was planned in advance. "Why our units could not pick up the movement of men in the area is baffling us" a senior officer in the Military Intelligence told NDTV.
Sources said the possibility of an attack was discussed as recently as the last week of May, at several levels, including the State-Multi-Agency Center - a platform of intelligence agencies, local police and army that collects and collates intelligence.
Intelligence inputs also suggested that an attack would be attempted in the first week of June.
Elections to the Autonomous Hill Council in Manipur are being held and the redeployment of troops and police for the polls created an ideal situation for militants to sneak across the open Myammar-India border to carry out the attack, a senior officer said.
The new group has come up recently after the NSCN(K) abrogated its 15-year-old ceasefire with the Centre. Intelligence agencies have told the government that they have been brought together at the insistence of a "neighbouring country."
"There are strong indications that these groups were being egged to come together and operate together, this would lead to sharing of resources and man-power," a top official in the security infrastructure said.
What is also baffling the Army is the inability of the road-opening party - troops who move ahead of a convey - to sanitize the route.