Assam Rifles soldier in Manipur shoots colleagues before shooting himself

A jawan from the Assam Rifles reportedly opened fire on fellow colleagues, injuring six of them in southern Manipur, before taking his own life on Wednesday, officials disclosed.

The incident occurred at an Assam Rifles Battalion stationed near the India-Myanmar border, as outlined in a statement released by Inspectorate General Assam Rifles (IGAR) today. The injured soldiers, identified as non-Manipuris, were promptly transported to the military hospital in Churachandpur for necessary medical attention, and their current condition is reported as stable.

To address potential speculation amid the ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, the IGAR emphasized the importance of transparently sharing incident details. The official statement highlighted that the injured individuals were not from Manipur and urged against linking the incident with the prevailing conflict: “This unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur.”

In response to the incident, the central paramilitary force has initiated an investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident. The IGAR underlined the diverse composition of Assam Rifles battalions, comprising personnel from various communities in Manipur, emphasizing their collective efforts to coexist and maintain peace and stability in the region.

Notably, Manipur has been grappling with ethnic tensions between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo tribal communities since May 2023.