After Ambush, Manipur Police Commandos Attacked By Militants In Border Town Moreh With RPGs, Four Injured

On Saturday (30 December) night, in the border town of Moreh, Manipur Police commandos were assaulted within their own barracks by militants, according to officials familiar with the situation. The attack, which involved the use of rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), resulted in damage to the barracks and minor injuries to four commandos.

A report came from Moreh detailing an assault on the commandos, this occurred just hours after another Manipur Police commando unit traveling on the Imphal-Moreh highway was ambushed earlier in the day. A commando was injured by shrapnel when their convoy was subjected to intense gunfire around 3:45 pm on Saturday.

An official familiar with the situation reported that the afternoon incident had been brought under control. However, around midnight, militants launched an attack on the sleeping commandos in the barracks using an RPG and heavy gunfire. Four commandos suffered minor injuries, with one potentially experiencing ear damage due to the explosive's blast.

The quartet of commandos was swiftly transported to the adjacent Assam Rifles hospital, Hindustan Times reported.

Officials reported that the militants, concealed within the hills, took advantage of the night's cover. They reportedly fired at the barracks for approximately thirty minutes.

In the wake of the incident, senior officials from the Assam Rifles have traveled to Moreh, a town located near the India-Myanmar border. The town has been in a state of heightened alert since Saturday afternoon.

The spokesperson for the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, an organiation representing Kuki inhabitants of Tengnouplal, Kaikholal Haokip, verified that unknown assailants launched an attack on the commandos near midnight.

Haokip stated, "Following the incident last night, senior officers from Assam Rifles have arrived in Moreh. The curfew has been reinstated and discussions are underway by security forces. The atmosphere is charged."

The administrative control of Moreh falls within the Tengnoupal district.

The relative peace that had lasted almost a month in the ethnically conflicted region of Manipur was disrupted on Saturday morning. A gunfight ensued between Meitei and Kuki village volunteers which resulted in one fatality. Prior to this incident, a gunfight in Tengnoupal district on 4 December had claimed the lives of 13 people.