Prime accused in Sept 19 ambush on Assam Rifles convoy in Manipur arrested

The prime accused in the September 19 ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in Manipur, which claimed the lives of two personnel, has been arrested, a top police officer said on Wednesday.

A large number of arms and ammunition used in the ambush was also recovered based on the inputs provided by the accused, he said.

"On receipt of specific information about the presence of armed militants in the Kameng area, a team of district police Imphal West, Bishnupur, 33 AR and other security forces launched a special operation on September 24 at about 1 am.

“During the operation, one person, namely Khomdram Ojit Singh@ Keilal (47) was apprehended... He admitted he is a bailed-out member of the PLA... He was directly involved in the ambush," Director General of Police, Manipur, Rajiv Singh, said in a statement.

Two jawans of the Assam Rifles were killed and five others injured when a group of armed men ambushed a vehicle of the paramilitary force on September 19.

Raids are underway to arrest the other culprits involved in the ambush, it added.

"He also revealed that he was arrested earlier on April 22, 2007... During further examination, it was revealed that he was directly involved in the ambush on September 19 at Sabal Leikai, Nambol (District Bishnupur) at about 5.30 pm against the 33 AR personnel.

“After firing at the AR personnel, he along with other persons fled towards the Loktak lake side and hid their arms and ammunition at a secret location," the statement said.

The arms and ammunition recovered include INSAS and other rifles, besides magazines.

Earlier police and forensic personnel had recovered several fired cartridges from the ambush site, around 16 km from state capital Imphal.

One of the injured personnel, N Nongthon, had earlier told reporters: "The assailants, numbering around four to five, suddenly opened fire at us. We did not immediately retaliate as it would have led to injuries to the public, since it was not an isolated area."

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had condemned the attack on security forces.

Manipur is under President's Rule since February, after the resignation of Chief Minister N Birendra Singh.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA is enforced in entire Manipur except in 13 police station areas of the five valley districts. Nambol, where the ambush occurred, falls in Bishnupur district and had no AFSPA coverage, officials had said.

Ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur have left at least 260 people dead and thousands homeless since May 2023.