Assam Rifles soldier in Manipur fires at colleagues before shooting self; 6 injured

Guwahati: In a tragic incident, an Assam Rifles soldier opened fire on his colleagues and injured six of them before shooting himself dead in Manipur that security officials claimed was not related to the ongoing ethnic conflicts.

The incident occurred in an Assam Rifles battalion deployed near Myanmar border in south Manipur, one of the remotest areas that used to be a hotbed of insurgency.

Clarifying that the incident was not related to ethnic conflict, Manipur police said, “One Assam Rifles Jawan opened fire on his colleagues injuring six of them (all injured are non-Manipuris); later the individual shot himself. All injured have been shifted to Military Hospital for further treatment and are reported to be stable.”

Informing that Assam rifle has ordered a probe into the incident, security sources said that the non-commissioned officer (NCO), who died of self-inflicted bullet injuries, had recently returned from vacation. During the night, he suddenly loaded his service rifle and opened fire at his colleagues before shooting himself.

Police said, “This unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur. Investigation into the incident has been ordered to ascertain the facts.”

The police further said that all Assam Rifles battalions have mixed class composition including those belonging to various communities from Manipur. "All personnel have been staying and operating together despite the polarization of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur,” police said in a statement.

"In light of the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, it is important to share the details of the incident transparently to dispel any potential rumours and avoid any speculation," said the IGAR official statement.

"This unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur," the statement read.
The central paramilitary force said that an investigation into the incident has been ordered to ascertain the facts.

"All Assam Rifles battalions have mixed class composition including those belonging to various communities from Manipur. All personnel have been staying and operating together despite polarization of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur," it added.

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic strife between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo tribal communities since May 2023.