CRPF trooper dies, cops hurt in ambush by Kuki militants
Two houses, school torched in Babukhal; another set ablaze in Goakhal Karong
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 14 2024: After attacking Mongbung Meetei village from Seijang and Mongbung Kuki villages in Jiribam district on Saturday night, Kuki militants ambushed a combined team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur police who had gone to the area on Sunday morning, leaving one CPRF trooper dead and two police personnel including a sub-inspector injured.

Meanwhile, two houses and a school at Babukhal arid another house at Goakhal Karong in Jiribam district were set on fire by Kuki militants on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

According to a report, on Sunday morning, a combined team of Jiribam district police, commando and C-20 Company CRPF in a nine-vehicle convoy conducted area domination patrolling at Mongbung and Sejiang Kuki villages, where a gunfight broke out the previous night.

When the convoy reached Mongbung tri-junction around 9.30am, Kuki militants holed up in the area ambushed the team with heavy gunfire and bombs.

The security forces also retaliated leading to an intense gunfight for around half-an-hour.

During the gunfight, two state force personnel including an SI suffered injuries while a C-20 Company CRPF trooper was killed on spot.

It is believed that two Kuki militants might also have been injured.

The deceased CRPF trooper has been identified as Ajay Kumar Jha (43) s/o Harischandra Jha of Maghupur, Bihar.

He suffered a bullet wound on the head near the right eyebrow.

The CRPF company had been deployed in Jiribam owing to the conflict in border district.

Jha's body is being kept at the morgue of Jiribam Community Health Centre (CHC).

Meanwhile, the two injured state police personnel are identified as Moirangthem Robindro (31) s/o (L) Biren Singh of Thoubal Langathel and Jiribam district police SI K Romendro (39) s/o (L) K Dharma of Leimapokpam.

Robindro has been hit on the face, and Romendro on the right leg and hand.

Both of them were taken to Jiribam CHC for treatment and later, referred to Silchar Medical College.

The ambush left CRPF vehicles and a Casspir of Manipur police riddled with bullets.

One of the bullets passed through the window of one of the CRPF vehicles and struck Ajay Kumar Jha, who was on the wheels, on his forehead.

The CRPF troopers were inside a patrol SUV when the suspected insurgents opened fire.

After the gunfight continued for around half-an-hour, a team of 39 Assam Rifles arrived at the scene.

Shortly after, a joint team of the district police, commando, CRPF and AR conducted search operation in the area.

Strongly condemning Sunday's incident, CM N Biren posted on his social media, stating that the sacrifice of the CRPF personnel in the line of duty will not be in vain.

He then extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved family, while wishing speedy recovery for the injured personnel.

According to police, the area where the incident took place, between Sejang Kuki village and Mongbung Meetei village, had been tense following heavy firing on Thursday, after which police had recovered arms and ammunition.

Jiribam superintendent of police Pradip Singh said a team of CRPF and police had been sent to Mongbung on Sunday morning to "check the deployment there" .

"The joint team left at around 9 am.

There are civil police and CRPF (personnel) already deployed there, but we were informed last night that sounds of gunfire had been heard.

So, the joint team had gone to cross-check, they were not there on an operation.

This team came under fire.

Their vehicles were moving below and they were ambushed from four or five locations in nearby hills," he said.

He said that the deceased jawan was the driver of a CRPF vehicle that was moving ahead of the police.

Upon being ambushed, the police and CRPF personnel retaliated, and by noon, the firing had stopped and they were able to move out of the area, the SP said.

Unlike many other instances of such exchanges of fire in Manipur, which have taken places close to the borders of Meetei-majority and Ku-ki-Zomi districts adjoining each other, Sunday's incident took place close to the district headquarters of Jiribam, which has a mixed population.

Mention may be made here that armed Kukis had torched the residence of All Jiribam Road Transport Driver Union president Nongmaithem Sadananda at Leingangpokpi around 6pm Saturday.

Later, bullets and bombs rained down on the Mongbung Meetei village from Mongbung and Seijang Kuki villages from around 7.30 pm.

On the other hand, Kuki militants set on fire houses of one Warekpam Ibohanbi Singh (30) s/o W Iboyaima Singh and Naorem Ibochouba (45) s/o (L) Babu in Babukhul, Jiribam district, which is located next to Motokhal Kuki village in Tamenglong district on Saturday midnight.

The residents of the two houses are currently staying in the relief camp opened at Bidyanagar, Jiribam.

The militants also set fire to Babukhal Primary School, but the fire did not cause much damage to the school.

Another house in Goakhal Karong area under Borobekra Sub-division belonging to one Maibam Sarat Singh was also burned down by Kuki militants on Saturday midnight.

The residence also served as the office of Goakhal Farmers' Co-Operative Society Limited.

The house was previously torched on June 26 but was not damaged substantially.

Sunday's incident was the second militant attack on the security forces in Manipur in five weeks.

On June 10, suspected Kuki militants attacked the advance security convoy of chief minister N Biren in an area under Kangpokpi district and a security personnel was injured in the attack.

The advance security convoy was on its way to the trouble-torn Jiribam district ahead of the Chief Minister's scheduled visit to the state's bordering district with Assam which recently witnessed violence.

The advance convoy was attacked near Kotlen village on the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) .

The Jiribam violence has led to around 900 people belonging to Kuki and Hmar communities taking shelter at the homes of relatives and friends in two villages in the Cachar district of southern Assam, while around 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the Meetei community, are now sheltered in seven relief camps in Jiribam.

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