Four people have been arrested from Manipur’s Kamjong district in connection with the ambush in Ukhrul that left two Assam Rifles personnel dead, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The four were arrested during an operation conducted in Charakvong (Sikipong) village, TM Kasom and Lungphu village in Kamjong district of Manipur on Tuesday, officials said.
In a separate incident, an angry mob vandalized and set fire to at least four Assam Rifles vehicles in Senapati district on Tuesday evening, people familiar with the developments said.
A press release issued by the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) Action Committee, a Naga body, expressed strong condemnation of the arrest of four individuals who claimed to be innocent villagers.
Read also:2 Assam Rifles personnel killed and many injured in an ambush in Ukhrul in Manipur
The committee claimed that security forces arrested the villagers at around 8am to 9am on Tuesday during the operation.
The four suspects were taken to Burumbat Police Station, Imphal East, but the exact reason for their arrest is yet to be ascertained.
On July 6, two Assam Rifles personnel, Warrant Officer Balwan Singh and Havildar Chandra Mohun Singh, were killed in an ambush by unidentified militants in Nongchang Khong village in Ukrul district.
According to officials, the accident occurred at around 1:30 pm in Nongchanguhong village, about 16 kilometers from the district town.
Initial investigations indicated that the suspected militants planted three explosive devices on both sides of the bridge on the convoy’s route. While the convoy was crossing the area, two explosive devices exploded, followed by heavy gunfire from several directions. Officials described it as a “coordinated attack.”
Tension in Senapati area
Tension erupted in Manipur’s Senapati district on Tuesday night, with an alleged encounter taking place between personnel of the Assam Rifles and the military wing of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) at the Hawthrung Bridge in Oklong village.
During the encounter, an angry mob vandalized at least four Assam Rifles vehicles, including one, and then set it on fire.
However, there is no official report on the incident. The copy will be updated as it is received.
