Assam Rifles soldier in Manipur opens fire on colleagues before shooting self; 6 injured

Imphal, Jan 24: An Assam Rifles jawan opened fire on his colleagues, injuring six of them in south Manipur before shooting himself on Wednesday, officials said.

The firing incident took place at an Assam Rifles Battalion, deployed close to the India-Myanmar border, according to a statement released by Inspectorate General Assam Rifles (IGAR) today.

As per the information from the IGAR, all the injured soldiers were non-Manipuris and they were rushed to the military hospital in Churachandpur for further treatment.

The jawans have now been reported to be stable.

"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," said the IGAR official statement.

"This unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur," the statement read.

The central paramilitary force said that an investigation into the incident has been ordered to ascertain the facts.

"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 polarization of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur," it added.

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic strife between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo tribal communities since May 2023.