Ambush attack in Manipur, two including Special Force jawan killed, call for ‘shutdown’ in Kangpokpi district

Manipur: In a sudden turn of events, a security force personnel from the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and his driver fell victim to a fatal ambush by suspected members of Imphal Valley-based terror groups in Kangpokpi district of Manipur where ethnic violence has claimed at least 181 lives since May 3, an officer familiar with the matter said.

The victims have been recognized as Henminlen Vaiphei (IRB) from Leimakhong Mission Veng village and Thangminlun Hangsing from Hunkho Kuki village in Imphal West district.

The ambush took place around 9.30 am between Haraothel and Kobsha villages, where a Maruti Gypsy carrying IRB personnel and his driver came under gunfire, resulting in fatalities. Both Henminlen Vaiphei and Thangminlun Hangsing succumbed to their injuries during the attack. It happened on the same road 3-4 km away when three men travelling in a car were ambushed and shot dead on September 12.

Additional forces have been deployed in the area after the attack and a search is underway to apprehend those responsible for the attack, a police official said. Meanwhile, a tribal organisation claimed that the Kuki-Zo community were targeted without provocation. The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) based in Kangpokpi has declared an “emergency shutdown” in Kangpokpi, urging locals to observe the suspension of normal activities.

The COTU, at a meeting, tabled demands that Chief Minister Biren Singh-led government make arrangements for a separate administration for tribals in the state.

The northeastern state has been hit by violence since May 3, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ protesting the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The ongoing conflict has claimed more than 180 lives, exposing deep-seated tensions between the Meiteis, who constitute the majority in the Imphal Valley, and the tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, who make up a significant portion of the hill districts. The demand for a separate administration for tribals underscores the complex nature of the ethnic discord in Manipur.