Shillong, January 24: A jawan from Assam Rifles opened fire on fellow soldiers at a battalion camp located near the Indo-Myanmar border in South Manipur.
Six jawans, none of whom are from Manipur, sustained injuries in the episode. The soldier responsible for the gunfire later turned the weapon on himself.
In a post on X, Manipur police wrote, “There has been an incident of firing by an Assam Rifles Jawan in an ASSAM RIFLES BATTALION deployed close to the Indo-Myanmar border in South Manipur. One Assam Rifles Jawan opened fire on his colleagues injuring six of them (all injured are non-Manipuris); later the individual shot himself”.
All injured have been evacuated to Military Hospital for further treatment and 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. 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. 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”, the post stated.