The Commanding Officer (CO) of 46 Assam Rifles, Colonel Viplav Tripathi, his two family members and four soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack on their convoy at Churachandpur district near the Myanmar border in Manipur on last Saturday.
No militant organisation has come forward to accept their involvement in the attack so far.
Colonel Viplav Tripathi, the CO of Khuga Battalion of Assam Rifles, his wife and son, along with four personnel of the paramilitary force were killed in the ambush on Saturday morning, officials stated.
Tripathi's convoy was ambushed at Sehkan village in Churachandpur district by suspected soldiers of the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), a militant group in Manipur demanding for a separate state.
Improvised Explosive Devices were first used followed up with heavy firing on the convoy, creating chaos in Manipur hills, before the Assam Rifles personnel fought back against the militants in a firefight.
"In the firefight that ensued with the Militants (Suspected PREPAK/ PLA cadres) after the bombing, the Commanding officer and three QRT (quick response team) personnel lost their lives quickly. The wife and 6 yr old son of the Commanding officer were also killed in that attack. The other injured personnel were taken to a health care center," Assam Rifles released in a press statement.
However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who promised that justice will be served gave indications that one more personnel of the force had died during the ambush.
Assam Rifles has praised the slain officer who had served in Mizoram before his term in Manipur until his transfer in July 2021.
Under his able leadership, at the time of his duty in Mizoram, the Battalion has been one of the best in Border management, curtailing illegal smuggling in the IMB and hinterland. The Battalion has also among many other things recovered several weapons which could have landed in the hands of Anti National elements thus preventing major casualties.
The Assam Rifles in a statement said that it is suspected the rebel group PREPAK is responsible for this heinous crime as the PREPAK ‘Remembrance Day’ is celebrated on 12/13 November 2021. Among the two rebel outfits — the PLA and the MNPF — that have claimed responsibility for the attack, PLA is one of the oldest militant groups but there is not much information of the latter in the Manipur valley.
Author
Swagata Chakraborty
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