Imphal
Residents of Nambol in Bishnupur district, Manipur, staged massive protests on Saturday following the ambush that killed two Assam Rifles personnel and injured five others. Women and men of all ages gathered near the site, carrying placards reading “Condemn attack on Assam Rifles” and chanting slogans demanding safety and security.
Security forces, comprising joint Central and state teams, intensified searches to apprehend the attackers. During the operation, a Maruti van suspected to have been used in the Nambol Sabal Leikai ambush was intercepted.
The attack occurred on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway when a column of Assam Rifles troops was moving from Patsoi Company Operating Base to Nambol Company Operating Base. Naib-Subedar Shyam Gurung from Meghalaya and Rifleman Ranjit Singh Kashyap from Chhattisgarh were killed, while five others were injured and evacuated to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal. Their condition is stable, officials said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first major violent incident after President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, had earlier been lifted from the Nambol Sabal Leikai area. Authorities observed the protests as a strong community response, highlighting the determination of locals to stand against violence. Women later led a protest rally condemning the ambush. An uneasy calm prevailed in Imphal West and Bishnupur district, while the search for the attackers continues.