Asem Bhakta Singh, Special Correspondent North East
Imphal: (Waari Singbul Network) In a dreadful incident, an Assam Rifles (AR) personnel on Tuesday night opened fire at six of his colleagues before ending his life by shooting himself inside their barrack at Chandel district’s Sajik Tampak area bordering Myanmar.
All the injured are non-Manipuris from different parts of the country and they are said to be stable.
The deceased solider has been identified as rifleman Baite of 15 AR from Churachandpur district’s Kanan Veng.
He had reported to his camp on Saturday last after leave, official sources said, adding that late on Tuesday night, he suddenly woke up yelling that somebody would kill him in his dream before he was comforted.
After a short while, the soldier again woke up before opening fire at six of his colleagues inside the barrack and ended his lift by shooting self with a service weapon, the sources added .
Before long, the injured personnel were airlifted to the military hospital at Leimakhong in Kanpokpi district near Imphal .
A state police report quoting AR said “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 ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur. Investigation into the incident has been ordered to ascertain the facts,” added the report.
All Assam Rifles battalions have mixed class composition including those belonging to various communities from Manipur, and all personnel have been staying and operating together despite polarization of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur, it said.
Sajik Tampak was once occupied by different rebel groups of the state before a massive military operation drove them out about two decades back and took control of the area.
