Two CRPF men were killed and two others injured in a suspected insurgent strike early this morning in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. According to reports, a group of suspected Kuki militants fired from a hillside in Naranseina village towards the valley region, aiming for a central security force station.
The conflict intensified when a device detonated within the outpost, injuring four people severely. Despite prompt medical attention, two security guards died, and two are now receiving treatment.
According to top police officials, the incident occurred six days before the first anniversary of the Manipur conflict, and militants hiding in hills are expected to intensify attacks in the following days.
The two killed were CRPF sub-inspector N Sarkar and head constable Arup Saini, both from the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) 128 Battalion stationed in Naranseina. Inspector Jadav Das and Constable Aftab Das were both injured. The assailants apparently commenced their attack at midnight and continued until around 2:15 a.m.
The incident occurred at an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) base, where CRPF men had been stationed following election duty in the state.
This campsite is two kilometers from the hills. Upper Canal, located about a kilometre from the camp, was declared as a sensitive region when unrest erupted in Manipur in May of last year.
According to accounts, rebels in the hills attacked the camp using a primitive artillery weapon known as a “pumpi gun”.
“The militants opened fire indiscriminately from hilltops, targeting the camp. It began about 12.30 a.m. and lasted until around 2.15 a.m. The attackers also threw explosives, one of which burst in the outpost of the CRPF’s 128th unit,” a senior police official said.
Police have launched a large combing effort in the region to find the perpetrators.
In August and September 2023, heavy gunfights erupted between Meitei and Kuki-Zo armed factions in and around Naranseina. Both sides refer to themselves as “village defence volunteers,” a definition of the belligerents in Manipur that has been the most contentious since nothing prevents these “volunteers” from murdering people under the insurance given by “in self-defense.”
The Meitei population predominantly inhabits the valley, while the Kuki people inhabit the hills.
