Daijiworld Media Network - Imphal
Imphal, Sep 20: A day after a deadly ambush claimed the lives of two Assam Rifles personnel and left five others injured in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, the paramilitary force has recovered a substantial cache of illegal arms in a counter-insurgency operation in Churachandpur district.
Defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amit Shukla said the operation was launched on Saturday in G. Khonom village following credible intelligence inputs. Eight single-barrel 12-bore rifles were recovered during the swift, coordinated operation, which aimed to minimise disturbance to local civilians.
The weapons, suspected to have been intended for use by anti-national elements, mark a significant seizure in the ongoing effort to curb the proliferation of arms in the violence-hit region. Officials noted that the recovery is a key step in neutralising potential threats and restoring public safety.
The security sweep comes in the aftermath of Friday’s ambush in Nambol Sabal Leikai area along National Highway 2, where a group of unidentified armed attackers opened fire on an Assam Rifles convoy en route from its Patsoi company base to Nambol. The attack, which took place in an area where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act had previously been lifted, resulted in the deaths of Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung, 59, from Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district, and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap, 36, of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district.
The five injured personnel are receiving treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal and are reportedly in stable condition.
As part of ongoing search efforts to trace the attackers, security forces have intercepted a Maruti van suspected to have been used during the ambush. Massive combing operations by joint Central and state forces continue across the region, particularly in Bishnupur and neighbouring Churachandpur district, which borders both Myanmar and Mizoram and has a history of insurgent activity.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which marks the first major act of violence since the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13 this year.
The Assam Rifles reiterated its commitment to ensuring peace in the region, while maintaining a dual focus on counter-insurgency and community welfare operations.