1st LD Writethru: 3 soldiers killed, 4 injured in blast in NE India

At least three Indian soldiers have been killed and four others injured in an explosion in the northeastern state of Assam Saturday morning, a police official said.

"The incident took place at around 6 a.m. (local time) in Digboi in the state's Tinsukia district when an Indian Army convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device blast triggered by suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants," he said on condition of anonymity.

The improvised explosive device blast hit a vehicle in the Indian Army convoy, injuring seven soldiers, three of whom succumbed to their injuries in the hospital later in the day, where the four other injured have been admitted to, the official said.

Local TV channels reported that an encounter is currently underway between Indian security forces and the militants, and that reinforcements have been rushed to the spot, while a massive search operation has also been launched.

ULFA, which seeks to establish a sovereign Assam with an armed struggle, was banned by India in 1990, branded as a terrorist organization. In 2011, a pact for suspension of operations against ULFA was signed between the Indian government, the Assam government and the ULFA. Endit