A Manipur Police team sent to a border town as reinforcements after a senior police officer was shot dead this morning were ambushed by suspected militants on their way.
Reports said many police commandos were injured in the ambush that happened 10 kilometer short of Tengnoupal district, NDTV reported.
It said the ambushed police team was later rescued by troops of the Assam.
It said many injured commandos were taken to the hospital.
Kuki civil society groups, meanwhile, in statements alleged it was a retaliatory shoot-out with Kuki village volunteers over alleged indiscriminate use of force by police commandos.
The Kuki groups alleged the Manipur government has been pouring in state forces to Moreh to harass civilians and have demanded the centre to withdraw the police from the border town.
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The report quoting a police official said some groups often claim "village volunteers" as a cover for insurgent attacks, and there is no way to know for certain that these "village volunteers" will not lead an attack.
"The ground situation should be observed first-hand and verified. Anyone group can claim anything. That doesn't mean it is true," the above officer was quoted as having said.
The India-Myanmar border trading town of Moreh in Tengnoupal, where senior police officer Chingtham Anand was shot dead by a suspected insurgent sniper while he was overseeing the construction of a helipad, is about 115 kilometer from the state capital Imphal.
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Earlier, a police officer was killed in Moreh in the ethnic-violence hit state after he was shot at by suspected militants.
The incident took place when Moreh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Chingtham Anand was inspecting a newly constructed helipad at the Eastern ground in the border town.
“The SDPO was taken to a primary health centre in Moreh where he succumbed to his injury. The police have launched an operation to apprehend the militants,” the report said.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that he is saddened by the ‘cold-blooded killing’ of Anand, it mentioned.
“Deeply saddened by the cold-blooded killing of SDPO Chingtham Anand, OC Moreh Police this morning,” Singh wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“His dedication to serve and protect the people will always be remembered. The perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
