A personnel of the 163 Battalion Alfa Company of the Border Security Force (BSF) succumbed to a fatal bullet injury, while two personnel of the 37 Assam Rifles sustained bullet injuries in an attack by Kuki militants at Serou in Kakching district early Tuesday, sources said.
The deceased BSF man has been identified as one Ranjit Yadav, 36, son of Mahendra Yadav of North 24-Parganas, West Bengal.
According to police, the incident occurred around 4:15 am while Ranjit was staying outside a temporary bunker at Serou Practical High School, Kakching district.
A bullet from a sniper reportedly hit Ranjit's left back and pierced through his right chest. He was rushed to Jivan Hospital in Kakching. However, due to huge blood loss, he succumbed to his injury, and the hospital authorities declared him "brought dead".
The injured AR personnel have been identified as one Gogoi from Arunachal Pradesh and TK Ding Simte from New Lamka, Churachandpur.
The Assam Rifles PRO mentioned in a release that multiple incidents of violence, arson and firing in Sugnu and Serou necessitated the redeployment of additional troops in the general area over the past 48 hours. The additional troops were tasked with beefing up the ongoing extensive area domination operations, ambushes and measures to prevent arson/ violence, it stated.
As a result of extensive area domination operations by the Assam Rifles, BSF and state police in areas of Sugnu/Serou, intermittent exchange of fire took place between security forces and insurgents during the night of June 5-6. Security forces took adequate measures to prevent insurgents from ‘breaking contact’ and running away to nearby areas, the AR PRO stated.
Firing intensified in the early hours of Tuesday, and in the ensuing firefight, a BSF personnel sustained fatal injuries. Two Assam Rifles personnel suffered bullet wounds and evacuated by an Army helicopter to Mantripukhri, Imphal, the PRO added.
Inputs indicate some casualties to insurgents and are being verified on ground, it added.
During the preliminary search with the help of satellite live images, two AK rifles, one 51mm mortar, two carbines, ammunition, and warlike stores were recovered from the general area. Operations are in progress to sanitise the area, said the release.
After conducting an autopsy at the JNIMS morgue, a wreath laying ceremony was conducted at the CRPF camp at Mantripukhri, Imphal.
During the ceremony, CM Biren Singh, security advisor to the Manipur government, Kuldiep Singh and other high-ranking officers of the BSF and state police were present.
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