"Ambush van" recovered
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 20 2025: A day after a convoy of Assam Rifles was attacked killing two personnel and injuring five others at Bishnupur, security forces have recovered a vehicle, suspected to have been used by the armed militants who carried out the deadly ambush.

The "suspicious abandoned vehicle" - a Maruti van bearing Manipur registration number was found parked some 10 kilometres away from the spot where the ambush took place yesterday.

Notably, the convoy of the 33 Assam Rifles F Coy, Maibam Lotpa COB Post was returning to their camp when they came under heavy fire at the Nambol Sabal Leikai crossing along Tiddim Road under Nambol police station yesterday at around 5.50 pm .

Today, the security forces carried out massive search operations and swept several areas of Imphal West, Bishnupur and Kakching districts.

During the operations, sources said, the security forces came across a Maruti van bearing Manipur registration number at Mutum Yangbi Ward No 1 area, Imphal West district under Wangoi police station.

The place where the suspicious vehicle was found is some 10 kilometres away from the spot where the ambush took place, added the sources.

Nambol police seized the vehicle after confirming it had been abandoned.

Following the seizure of the vehicle, the sources said, two individuals approached the Nambol police, claiming they had previously owned the vehicle before selling it.

During the massive cordon and search operations launched this morning, the security forces including the police, commandos and CRPF personnel searched more than 200 houses and verified the identity of more than 150 individuals.

Nambol police picked up two persons for failing to produce proper identity proofs.

The security forces conducted the search operations at Shantipur village, Ishok and Mutum Yangbi and other suspected areas.

There have been no reports of any arrests during the operations.

The two AR personnel killed yesterday in the ambush have been identified as Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap.

The five personnel injured in the ambush have been identified as Ningthoukhongjam Nongthon of Keibi Khullen, Imphal East; DJ Dutta of Lakhimpur, Assam; BK Rai of Sikkim, LP Sangma of Tura, Meghalaya; and Subashchandra of Uttarakhand.

Comment