Assam Rifles constable injured in gunfight in Manipur
Kuldiep Singh, who retired in September last year as chief of the Central Police Reserve Force, was appointed Manipur security advisor
IMPHAL: An Assam Rifles constable was injured in a gunfight with unidentified gunmen in the Utonglok area 30km northeast of Imphal on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. The incident took place at about 11am and the firefight lasted about 20 minutes.
Manipur’s security advisor Kuldiep Singh said a constable sustained bullet injury in the gunfight. He was evacuated by helicopter for treatment, Singh added.
Singh, who retired in September last year as chief of the Central Police Reserve Force, said they have started inspecting the camps of Kuki militants who are in Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with the state and central governments.
“We have also started an exercise of inspection of SoO camps and that is going on with the help of Assam Rifles and local police,” the retired police officer said. The Centre and the Manipur government signed tripartite agreements with two umbrella groups of Kuki militants, United People’s Front and Kuki National Organisation in 2008.
Asked about instances of weapons snatched from security personnel in the recent violence, Singh said the recovery of arms and ammunition has increased substantially. “So far, 284 arms and 6,700 ammunition have been recovered,” he said.
He said people who were stranded were being escorted from Imphal to Churachandpur and nearby districts. He added that 288 FIR cases have been registered in connection with the recent violence in the state.
Singh acknowledged that the police were yet to trace the two men from Khumbong village in Imphal West district, Atom Samarendra and Y Kirankumar, who had gone missing on May 6.
