A senior police officer was shot dead and many were ambushed by suspected insurgents on their way to Tengnoupal district. Following the incident a team of Manipur Police commandos was sent to the ambush site as reinforcements.
Troops of the Assam Rifles rushed to the ambush site and rescued the police commandos, government sources said. Many have been taken to hospital.
Soon after the attack the troops of Assam Rifles went to the site to rescue the commandos. The injured were immediately taken to the nearby hospitals.
Meanwhile, people from Kuki community have alleged that the ambush was a retaliatory shoot-out with the Kuki volunteers against the indiscriminate use of force by the police. They have even requested for the withdrawal of the forces from the border town as they allege that the state government was sending forces to Moreh to harass civilians.
There are some groups who affirm that the “village volunteers” as a cover against these attacks but there is no surety that these “village volunteers” will not lead any attack, said a senior police official.
“The ground situation should be observed first-hand and verified. Any group can claim anything. That doesn’t mean it is true,” he said in his statement.
The senior police official who was shot dead was overseeing the helipad construction in Moreh of Tengnoupal. The surprise attack on the helipad project today morning has led to rising hostilities between the insurgents and security forces.
