2 Assam Rifles men killed, 5 injured in Manipur ambush

Less than a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Manipur, two Assam Rifles personnel were killed and five others were injured when a group of armed men ambushed a vehicle of the paramilitary force in Bishnupur district of the state on Friday evening, officials said.

The attack took place around 5.50 pm in the district’s Nambol Sabal Leikai area. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the ambush. Manipur has witnessed more than 260 deaths in ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis since May 2023.

The officials said gunmen opened fire on a 407 Tata vehicle, which was carrying the security personnel from Imphal to Bishnupur. They said two personnel died on the spot while five others sustained injuries. The deceased were identified as Naik Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Keshap. The injured have been admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.

"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.

Additional forces have been sent to the ambush site while search operations have been launched in nearby areas where the attackers might have fled, an official said.

Police and forensic personnel recovered several fired cartridges from the ambush site, which is around 16 km from the state capital Imphal. The last such ambush involving security personnel had taken place in 2024 in Jiribam district bordering Assam’s Cachar when a CRPF jawan was killed and three security personnel were injured.

Friday's incident occurred two days before the proposed ‘bandh’ called by valley-based militant groups against the Manipur merger agreement of September 21, 1949.

Manipur is currently under the President's Rule. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla condemned the attack and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the martyred personnel. "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," a statement from the Raj Bhawan said.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is enforced in entire Manipur except 13 police station areas of the five valley districts, which are dominated by Meiteis. Nambol, where the ambush occurred, has no AFSPA coverage. AFSPA remains imposed in the hills where the Kukis have a majority.

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.

PM Modi had visited Manipur on September 13 and assured that the Centre was committed to ensuring peace in the state through development and rehabilitation. Within 24 hours of his visit, violence had broken out in Churachandpur district, which is dominated by the Kukis, when some youths had tried to attack the houses of Kuki leaders.

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 martyrs 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 state in February after Biren Singh resigned.