crpf-constable-killed-two-injured-in-manipur-firefight

A CRPF constable was killed, and two Manipur Police personnel were injured in a fierce gunfight at Mongbum village in Manipur's Jiribam district on Sunday morning. The firefight broke out around 9:30 a.m. when a joint team of Manipur Police and CRPF entered the village, according to local police.

 

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) paid tribute to the fallen constable, Ajay Kumar Jha, 43, in a condolence post on social media platform X.

 

"On 14 July 2024, during an ambush by militants on a joint party of 20 Battalion #CRPF and State Police at Jiribam, Manipur, brave Constable Driver Ajay Kumar Jha sacrificed his life in the line of duty. CRPF salutes our brave soldier’s indomitable courage, valour and devotion to the motherland,” the post read.

 

Manipur Police reported that a Sub-Inspector from Jiribam station and another police employee sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire. Chief Minister N.

 

Biren Singh condemned the attack and held "suspected Kuki militants" responsible for the violence.

 

In his post on X, he expressed condolences for the CRPF constable's death and criticized the continuing violence in the region. 

 

The Opposition Congress party also took to social media to lament the death, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indifference towards the ongoing conflict in Manipur.

 

Conflict and confusion

 

Sources within the security establishment revealed that a checkpost of the Assam Rifles (AR) near the village's entrance had been dismantled three days prior as part of routine trust-building measures.

 

The local administration and police were reportedly informed of this change during regular security review meetings.

 

However, the police were advised not to venture beyond municipal limits without informing the Assam Rifles, a directive seemingly overlooked during the joint operation on Sunday.

 

Superintendent of Police, Jiribam, M. Pradip Singh explained, "A small team of Manipur Police and CRPF were already stationed in the part of Mongbum where Meitei people live – Mongbum (Meitei) – which is slightly lower than the location of Mongbum (Kuki) on the hilltop. The AR is stationed inside Mongbum (Kuki) and we seldom go there."

 

The situation escalated on the night of July 13 when the stationed team reported gunfire in the area. The following morning, around 9 a.m., a contingent of Manipur Police commandos and CRPF personnel, traveling in bullet-proof vehicles, entered Mongbum (Meitei) to investigate the gunfire report.

 

"There was no operation being conducted. This is when the team came under fire from five-six directions, and a firefight ensued," Singh said. Security officials confirmed no civilian casualties occurred during the exchange.

 

Constable Jha, driving a police Gypsy vehicle, was killed by a bullet wound to the right forehead.

 

The two injured Manipur Police personnel sustained pellet injuries. As the firefight continued, some injured personnel were left behind as others evacuated in a bullet-proof vehicle.

 

These remaining personnel were later rescued by the Assam Rifles, with additional bullet-proof vehicles dispatched for reinforcement.

 

Escalating tensions

 

The gunfire allegedly originated from the hills, with suspected cadres of underground groups involved in the attack. Reports suggest one injured individual, believed to be a member of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), was taken to Silchar Medical College in Assam for treatment.

 

Following the incident, both Meitei and Kuki civil society organizations (CSOs) issued competing narratives.

 

Meitei CSOs accused "Kuki-Zo armed terrorists" of planning the attack, while Kuki CSOs blamed the Manipur Police Commandos, CRPF, and other Meitei groups for the violence.

 

In a statement, the Jiri Apunba Lup (JAL), a conglomerate of Meitei CSOs, condemned the accusations from Kuki organizations as "baseless and full of lies."

 

They also reported that a house belonging to a Meitei CSO leader near Phaitol village was allegedly burned down on July 13 night.

 

Conversely, the Kuki Inpi Manipur and other Kuki organizations issued a joint statement questioning the leadership of the Manipur State Police and local CRPF units.

 

"We will no longer tolerate any kind of atrocities, be it from the Meitei government or those Central security agencies which plan to carry out atrocities against us. As loyal citizens of this country, we have the rights to protect ourselves and will fight against all the injustice done to us," the statement read.

 

Calls for action

 

The JAL demanded enhanced security deployment in the area, urging the government to "come together as a united front against terrorism and violence."

 

They also pressed for the Union government to abrogate the Suspension of Operations agreement signed with 24 Kuki-Zo insurgent groups.

 

The Indigenous Tribes Advisory Council of Jiribam and Pherzawl districts also issued a statement, calling for "swift action" from the Central government to protect Hmar and Kuki-Zo communities in Jiribam.

 

They requested that Manipur State security forces be prevented from entering Hmar and Kuki-Zo villages to avoid further violence.

 

Chief Minister Singh, in his post on X, stated, “I strongly condemn the killing of a CRPF personnel in an attack carried out by an armed group, suspected to be Kuki militants, in Jiribam district today. His supreme sacrifice in the line of duty shall not go in vain. I further extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased soldier, while praying for the speedy recovery of the ones injured during the attack.”

 

The Opposition Congress party added to the condemnation, highlighting the ongoing violence in Manipur and criticising Prime Minister Modi's perceived lack of concern.

 

"Violence continues in Manipur... Today a CRPF convoy was attacked. One soldier is reported to have been martyred in this attack. The condolences of the Congress family are with the bereaved family. More than a year has passed and Manipur is still burning in the fire of violence. But.. Narendra Modi is not bothered by this. He is happy in his own world," read the party's statement.