Assam Rifles Convoy Ambush In Manipur: Key Accused In Bishnupur Attack Nabbed; Weapons Haul Recovered

The Manipur Police have arrested a member of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Imphal West on Wednesday (24 September) morning, Indian Express reported.

He is identified as the prime accused in last week’s ambush that killed two Assam Rifles personnel.

On 19 September, Naib Subedar Shyam Gurung and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap of the 33 Assam Rifles were killed and five others sustained injuries when terrorists targeted their convoy on National Highway-02 in Nambol in Manipur’s Bishnupur district.

According to a police statement, security forces launched a joint operation around 1 am in Kameng, Imphal West, acting on intelligence inputs.

The statement added that an individual named Khomdram Ojit Singh alias Keilal (47) was apprehended, and he admitted to being an active member of the PLA.

Singh was earlier arrested in 2007 and later released on bail.

The statement added that during further examination, “it was revealed that he was directly involved” in the 19 September ambush.

"After firing at the AR personnel, he and other persons fled towards the Loktak Lake side and hid their arms and ammunition at a secret location… Examination of the arrested person is continuing, and certain leads have been established. Raids are being carried out to apprehend other culprits involved in the said ambush,” the statement said.

Based on his disclosure, authorities recovered a cache of weapons: one A4 rifle, one HK rifle, two AK rifles, an INSAS rifle, and three lathode shells.

The ambush occurred just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 13 September visit to Manipur, his first since ethnic clashes began in May 2023.

The attack marked a break from months of uneasy calm between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

The last major violence was on 8 March in Kangpokpi, where one person died and several were injured during clashes involving security forces.

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Also Read: Assam Rifles Convoy Attack: Manipur Police Detains Two, Recover Van Used In The Ambush