Assam Rifles jawan in Manipur shoots self dead after firing on colleagues, 6 injured

Assam Rifles say all six are non-Manipuris and there is no link with the ongoing violence in the state.

Guwahati: A jawan of Assam Rifles opened fire at his colleagues in a camp in South Manipur before shooting himself on Wednesday morning.

A statement from Assam Rifles said the jawan died while six others were injured in the firing that took place at around 3.30 am. The camp is situated at Sajik Tampak in Chandel district, close to the border with Myanmar. Assam Rifles guard the 1,634 km border with Myanmar in Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

"All injured have been evacuated to a military hospital for further treatment and reported to be stable," said a statement of Assam Rifles, which was shared by Manipur police.

Sources said the deceased was a Kuki and joined his duty on January 20 after leave. Assam Rifles, however, clarified that there is no link between the incident and the ongoing clashes between the Meiteis and the Kukis in Manipur.

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

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 polarisation of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur, it further said.