Imphal: Two jawans of the Assam Rifles were killed and five others were injured when a group of armed men ambushed a vehicle of the paramilitary force in Manipur’s Bishnupur district Friday evening, officials said.
The incident took place in the district’s Nambol Sabal Leikai area around 5.50 pm.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack till the filing of the report.
“A group of gunmen ambushed the vehicle in which Assam Rifles personnel were travelling towards Bishnupur district from Imphal, claiming the life of two jawans and injuring five,” an official said.
The five injured people were brought to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, a RIMS official told PTI.
“… the column was ambushed by unidentified terrorists on the Highway in the denotified area of Manipur. In the ensuing action, two personnel of Assam Rifles were martyred and five were injured who have since been evacuated to RIMS and are currently stable. Search operations are ongoing to apprehend the terrorists involved in the incident,” a defence statement said.
The deceased persons were identified as Naik Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Keshap.
Police and forensic personnel recovered several fired cartridges from the ambush site, which is around 16 km from the state capital Imphal.
Additional forces have been sent there while search operations have been launched in nearby areas where the attackers might have fled, an official said.
Injured personnel N Nongthon told reporters: “The assailants, numbering around 4 to 5, suddenly opened fire towards us. We did not immediately retaliate as it would have led to injuries to the public, as it was not an isolated area.”
Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla condemned the attack on security forces, in which two Assam Rifles jawans made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, according to a Raj Bhavan statement.
Manipur is now under the President’s Rule.
“The Governor expressed profound grief and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the martyred soldiers, acknowledging their unwavering courage and dedication in protecting the nation,” it said.
Bhalla prayed for the speedy recovery of those who sustained injuries in the ambush.
“The governor reaffirmed that such heinous acts of violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances and warned that they will be met with the strongest resolve to safeguard peace and stability in the region,” the statement said.
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA is enforced in the entire Manipur except in 13 police station areas of the five valley districts. Nambol, where the ambush occurred falls in Bishnupur district and has no AFSPA coverage, an official said.
Earlier in the day, protesters had blocked the main road, some 20 km from the ambush site, in the same district after the police arrested a 45-year-old man.
Ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities have left at least 260 people dead and thousands homeless since May 2023..
Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh visited the injured security personnel at RIMS.
“I am deeply shaken to hear about the ambush on our brave 33 Assam Rifles personnel at Nambol Sabal Leikai. My deepest condolences to the families of the fallen and prayers for the quick recovery of the injured. Their courage and sacrifice will remain in our hearts forever. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must face the harshest punishment,” he said.
President’s Rule was imposed in the northeastern state in February after Singh resigned..
The injured were identified as Ningthoukhongjam Nongthon from Imphal East district, DJ Dutta from Lakhimpur in Assam, Hav BK Rai from Sikkim, LP Sangma from Tura in Meghalaya and Subashchandra from Uttarakhand.
PTI
