Chandel SP escapes unhurt while returning after attending Liaison Meet at Tamu
7 cops hurt in ambush on Imphal-Moreh route
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 04 2012: Seven policemen were injured, two of them seriously, in a clinically executed booby trap laid by suspected militants at a turning point at H Moljon, a tiny hamlet on the Imphal-Moreh route of National Highway 2 today at about 1.30 pm.

Two IEDs went off in quick succession, followed by a gun attack.

No one though was hurt in the gun fire.

The spot of the blast is located about 6 kms from Moreh towards Imphal and about 4 kms from Khudengthabi where the Assam Rifles has a post.

Significantly the Assam Rifles Director General Lt General Ranbir Singh and the Inspector General of Assam Rifles (South) Maj General UK Gurung were present at Moreh when the bomb attacks were launched.

The attack came when a convoy of the SP of Chandel police was returning to Imphal after attending an Indo-Myanmar Liaison Meeting at Tamu yesterday.

The SP escaped unhurt.

The Deputy Commissioner of Chandel district was also present at the meeting, but was not part of the entourage as he had to stay back at Moreh.

An injured cop being wheeled into RIMS and the AR ambulance at the blast site

A reliable source said that the Assam Rifles DG and the IG AR (S) were at Moreh as part of the DG's visit to different parts of the State.

They did not attend the Indo-Myanmar Liaison Meeting, said the source.

According to sources, the Officer-in-Charge of Moreh police led the convoy of four Gypsys, with the Chandel SP, Elangbam Priyokumar following behind.

The pilot vehicle of the SP followed, as it could not keep up with the rest due to a technical problem in the vehicle while another Gypsy was at the rear end.

The two blasts, that went off one after the other, caught the last two vehicles, injuring seven policemen on the spot.

This was followed by a volley of firing from the militants, though no one was injured in the gun fire.

The police also returned fire, though it is not clear whether anyone was hurt in the retaliatory firing.

All the injured have been admitted to RIMS, with the condition of two of them stated to be serious.

Tengnoupal MLA DK Korungthang visited the injured policemen at RIMS.

Top brass of the police including the IG (LO-I) L Kailun, IG (Admn) C Doungel, IG T Pachau and DIG (Range-I) Clay Khongsai also rushed to RIMS to enquire about the conditions of the injured cops.

Speaking to reporters at RIMS, the Chandel SP said 'I was returning to Imphal along with my convoy after attending the Indo-Myanmar Liaison Meeting at Tamu yesterday when the attack was launched by suspected cadres of CorCom' .

Meanwhile, Assam Rifles PRO in a statement said that on immediate receipt of the information of the bomb attack, Assam Rifles activated its resources and rushed to the ambush site with reinforcement, ambulance and doctors.

First aid was provided to the injured police personnel, said the PRO and added that the troops sanitised the area too.

During the incident, the DGAR and IGAR (South) were present at Moreh.

On receiving information about the ambush, the two Generals visited the ambush site and took stock of the situation.

The injured were evacuated to Imphal along with the convoy of the DGAR, added the PRO.

The injured cops have been identified as Head Constable T Badal (40), Constable Chongthe Chothe (21), Constable Medum Maring (28), Romneithang Aimol (24), Jhelinsang Joutang (30), MS Morung (32) and Simkholien Aimol (25) .

Medun Maring and Simkholien Aimol are stated to be in critical conditions.