Militants not village volunteers: Police on Jiribam attack
Automatic weapons, RPG used by militants; search operations underway to rescue six missing
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 12 2024:
Heavily armed militants carried out attack on Borobekra police station and nearby CRPF post at Jakuradhor in Jiribam district on Monday.
In the ensuing gunfight, security forces neutralised at least 10 militants, whose bodies along with several automatic weapons and RPF were recovered, said IGP (Ops) IK Muivah on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference at Manipur Police Headquarters here on Tuesday in the presence of IGP (Intelligence) Kabib K, IK Muivah said that the heavily armed militants burned several houses and attacked Borobekra PS and CRPF post at Jakuradhor on Monday around 2.30 pm.
Security forces retaliated leading to gunfight lasting for around 45 minutes.
A CRPF constable namely Sanjeev Kumar injured in the militants' attack has been evacuated to Silchar Medical College.
After the gunfight, security forces found 10 bodies along with three AK rifles, four SLRs, two INSAS rifles, one RPG, one pump action gun, BP helmets and several ammunition with magazines, he elaborated.
The attires of the militants and the recovered weapons clearly indicated that they are not mere village volunteers but trained militants, reasoned the officer, adding that a case has been registered at Borobekra police station.
In the incident, 13 civilians went missing, with two found dead and five rescued.
Three persons including three women and three children are still missing.
Joint teams of Assam Rifles, civil police and CRPF are continuing search and rescue operation in the surrounding areas of Jakuradhor, the IGP said.
Joining the media IGP (administration) K Jayenta said that it was the second time that militants targeted Borobekra police station.
So far, there have been 31 incidents of armed skirmishes in the district, in which 79 houses have been burned.
While security forces exercise maximum restrain while dealing with the crisis, it is but natural that the security forces would retaliate if the militants target them, he said, and urged all sections of the society to cooperate with security forces and do not take law in their hands as it will only bring more destructions to the society.
He further said that there were also instances or armed attacks in multiple locations on Monday and security forces are on high alert to thwart any attack.
Search and rescue operation will continue to rescue the six missing persons in Jiribam, he added.
"We had exercised maximum restraint and retaliated only when fired upon.
Had the security forces not retaliated, and with the miscreants targeting the civilians, the casualties of civilians would have been higher," Jayenta reasoned.
On media queries about purported photographs of the six missing persons in captivity of militants doing the rounds on social media, the senior officer said, "We have seen the photographs...however, things are not confirmed yet.
Search operations will continue" .
The six missing persons were identified as Yumrembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heithoibi Devi (25) and her two children Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (two-and-a-half-years old) and Laishram Lamnganba Singh (10 months).
Police said purported photographs of the six missing persons in captivity of militants doing the rounds on social media could not be confirmed and the rescue operations will continue till they were traced.
Around 100 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltered in a relief camp on the police station compound when the attacks were carried out.
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