IMPHAL, JUNE 6: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and two Assam Rifles personnel injured in an encounter with suspected Kuki insurgents in Manipur’s Serou area early Tuesday, officials said.
The exchange of fire between the two sides took place in a school in Serou area of Sugnu in Kakching district, the officials said.
A BSF official said suspected Kuki miscreants resorted to indiscriminate and heavy firing targeted at BSF troops deployed at the Serou Practical High School around 4.15 a.m.
Constable Ranjit Yadav sustained a bullet injury during the gunfight and was evacuated to Kakching’s Jivan Hospital where he was declared dead, the official said.
The two injured Assam Rifles personnel have been air evacuated to Mantripukhri and search operations are in progress, the Indian Army’s Spear Corps, headquartered in Dimapur, added on Twitter.
During the preliminary search, 2 AK series rifles, a 51mm mortar, 2 carbines, huge quantities of ammunition and warlike stores have been recovered from the area.
Sanitisation operations are currently underway and further details are awaited.
The BSF trooper is the second para-military personnel killed in the ongoing violence in Manipur. On May 10, Assam Rifles rifleman Alok Rao sustained gunshots wounds during an operation in Manipur’s Senapati district and succumbed to his injury at Command Hospital in Kolkata on May 17.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other senior officials paid their last respect to the slain BSF jawan.
The BSF, expressing their grief and condolences, tweeted: “Director General and all ranks of BSF salute the supreme sacrifice of Ct/GD Ranjit Yadav, 163 Bn BSF on 06 June 2023 while deployed at Serou Practical High School, PS Sugnu, Distt Kakching, Manipur.
“Ct/GD Ranjit Yadav displayed conspicuous bravery, high degree of dedication & devotion to duty during the exchange of fire when suspected Kuki miscreants resorted to indiscriminate & heavy volume of firing towards BSF troops. Prahari Parivaar stands in solidarity with the bereaved family.”
Meanwhile, a Defence release said that multiple incidents of violence, arson and firing in Sugnu and Serou in the past 48 hours necessitated the redeployment of additional troops.
“Extensive area domination operations by the Assam Rifles, BSF and Manipur Police were undertaken in the Sugnu and Serou areas. Intermittent firing between security forces and the insurgents took place throughout the night. Security forces effectively retaliated to the fire”, it said.
The troops were tasked to beef up ongoing extensive area domination operations, ambushes and measures to prevent violence.
Security forces took adequate measures to prevent insurgents from ‘breaking contact’ and running away to nearby area.
(Agencies)
