PM condemns attack on Assam Rifles’ convoy 

IMPHAL/New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI): A Colonel of the Indian Army, his wife and six-year-old son, and four Assam Rifles soldiers were killed in an attack in Manipur’s Churachandpur on Saturday, officials said.
Colonel Viplav Tripathi was the commanding officer of the 46 Assam Rifles.
The officials said four others sustained injuries in the attack that happened around 3 km from Deheng locality.
Tripathi’s convoy was targeted at Sehkan village in Churachandpur district by suspected militants of the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), a militant group in Manipur demanding a separate homeland.
The incident is the first major attack on security forces since June 4, 2018 when an Army convoy was similarly targeted in Chandel district resulting in the death of 18 personnel and injury to others. The personnel of the Road Opening Patrol (ROP) of the 6 Dogra Regiment of the Army were felled.
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) burst, shattering tenuous peace in Manipur hills, before the Assam Rifles personnel engaged the militants in a firefight.
“In the firefight which followed with the Militants (Suspected PREPAK/ PLA cadres) the commanding officer and three QRT (quick response team) personnel lost their lives on the spot. The family of the commanding officer (wife and 6 yr-old-son) also lost their lives. The other injured personnel were admitted at Behianga health care center,” Assam Rifles said in a press statement.
However, Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who promised ‘justice’ to the affected families, indicated one more personnel of the force had died.
“The cowardly attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur, Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. The nation has lost 5 brave soldiers including CO 46 AR and two family members. My condolences to the bereaved families. The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon,” he tweeted.
Though the Defence minister’s tweet indicated one more personnel was killed, there was no immediate confirmation from Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force in the country raised in 1835 under British rule.
It is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) but under operational control of the Indian Army.
Assam Rifles euologised the slain officer who had previously served in Mizoram until his transfer to Manipur in July 2021.
“During his tenure at Mizoram, under his able and energetic leadership, the Battalion has been at the forefront in Border management thwarting illegal smuggling in the IMB and hinterland. Battalion has also recovered several weapons & War like stores which could have landed in the hands of Anti National elements thus avoiding major casualties.
“Col Viplav though his remarkable endeavours has bonded closely with the locals of Mizoram. The Anti-Drug campaign conducted by his battalion in January 2021 received several laurels and praise & the awareness was rightfully created by him in the entire state including the remote villages to ensure the youth are guided in the right direction,” the statement said, adding his “goodwill for the society will last an eternity”.
The Assam Rifles statement said it suspected that the insurgent group responsible for this massacre “must be from PREPAK cadre as the PREPAK remembrance day is celebrated on 12/13 November 2021”.
Meanwhile, strongly condemning the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Modi tweeted, “Strongly condemn the attack on the Assam Rifles convoy in Manipur. I pay homage to those soldiers and family members who have been martyred today. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of sadness.”
Describing it as a cowardly attack, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said the perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.
“The cowardly attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur, Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. The nation has lost 5 brave soldiers including CO 46 AR and two family members,” he tweeted.
“My condolences to the bereaved families. The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon,” Singh said.