2 Security Force Personnel Killed, 2 Injured In Manipur Attack

One CRPF personnel was killed and three others were injured in a suspected militant attack early in the morning today in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. 

According to sources, a group of militants opened gunfire from a hillside in Naranseina village towards the valley region, targeting a central security force post. The exchange escalated when a bomb detonated within the outpost, causing severe injuries to four personnel. Despite swift medical attention, one security personnel died while the remaining three are currently undergoing treatment.

The two who died belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) 128 Battalion, stationed at Naranseina and were identified as CRPF sub-inspector N Sarkar and head constable Arup Saini. The injured were inspector Jadav Das and constable Aftab Das. The attackers reportedly launched their assault starting from midnight until approximately 2:15 am.

“The militants fired indiscriminately from hilltops, targetting the camp. It started around 12.30 am and continued till about 2.15 am. The militants also hurled bombs, one of which exploded in the outpost of CRPF’s 128 battalion,” a senior police officer said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

A massive combing operation is underway in the area to track down the attackers, police said. 

Heavy gunfights broke out between Meitei and Kuki-Zo armed groups in August and September 2023 in and around Naranseina. Both sides call themselves “village defence volunteers”, a definition of the belligerents in Manipur that has become the most controversial since nothing stops these “volunteers” from killing people under the insurance provided by “in self-defence”.