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Manipur: In a statement on Wednesday, Manipur Police said that a soldier of the Assam Rifles before shooting himself dead opened fire at his colleagues, injuring six of the jawans in Chandel district of Manipur.
The police added that the incident happened in the Sajik Tampak area in an Assam Rifles Battalion deployed close to the Indo-Myanmar border in South Manipur late on Tuesday. Following the shooting spree, he fatally shot himself, confirmed a senior police officer.
In a statement addressing the incident, Manipur Police urged the public not to link this tragic event with the ongoing ethnic tensions in the region. The soldiers who were not from Manipur, have been shifted to the Military Hospital for treatment and are stable. An investigation has been ordered into the incident to ascertain the facts.
In a statement, The Manipur Police said, “There has been an incident of firing by an Assam Rifles Jawan in an ASSAM RIFLES BATTALION deployed close to the Indo-Myanmar border in South Manipur. One Assam Rifles Jawan opened fire on his colleagues injuring six of them (all injured are non-Manipuris); later the individual shot himself. All injured have been evacuated to the Military Hospital for further treatment and reported to be stable.”
The police further said, “In light of the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, it is important to share the details of the incident transparently to dispel any potential rumours and avoid any speculation. This unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur.”
He added, “Investigation into the incident has been ordered to ascertain the facts.All Assam Rifles battalions have mixed class composition, including those belonging to various communities in Manipur. All personnel have been staying and operating together despite polarisation of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur.”
