Two Assam Rifles personnel, Warrant Officer Balwant Singh and Havildar Chandra Mohan Singh, were killed in a suspected Naga armed group ambush in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Monday, officials said. The incident occurred at Nungshang Kong, around 16 km east of Ukhrul Police Station, when an Assam Rifles patrol party was ambushed by unidentified Naga armed assailants. At least two Assam Rifles personnel sustained critical injuries in the attack and later succumbed to their injuries.
An intermittent exchange of fire reportedly continued in the area for several hours, preventing a police team from Ukhrul Police Station from reaching the site. Consequently, the exact details of the incident, including the total number of casualties and the identity of the attackers, could not be immediately confirmed. A police official, quoting local villagers, said that heavy gunfire and repeated explosions continued for nearly two hours in the area, located about 17 km from the Ukhrul district headquarters.
Farmers working in nearby paddy fields fled to safer locations as the firing intensified, while panic gripped the surrounding villages. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh strongly condemned the attack and vowed stringent action against those responsible. The Chief Minister said that the state government would not tolerate such heinous acts and would not remain a mute spectator to such atrocities.
The perpetrators responsible for this brutal murder will be identified, arrested, and punished in accordance with the law of the land. Home Minister Govindas Singh also strongly condemned the attack on the Assam Rifles personnel, saying such incidents only disrupt the peace and harmony that the people of the state collectively aspire to uphold. The incident comes amid intensified security operations across Manipur, where central and state security forces have been maintaining heightened vigilance in both the valley and hill districts to curb militant activities, prevent further violence, and restore normalcy.
Meanwhile, the NSCN (I-M) has denied any involvement in the reported ambush, stating that it had no connection whatsoever with the incident. The group maintained that it remained firmly committed to the ceasefire agreement and continued to uphold its responsibilities under the agreed ground rules.
