Driver Killed in Manipur Ambush
Security convoy carrying essential supplies attacked in Ukhrul; police blame Kuki militants
GG News Bureau
Imphal, 30th May: A truck driver from West Bengal was killed and a police personnel injured after a convoy carrying essential supplies came under attack in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, with police alleging that armed Kuki militants were behind the ambush.
According to Manipur Police, the attack took place on National Highway 202 while a joint security convoy was escorting trucks of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), including vehicles transporting cooking gas.
In a statement, the police said the convoy, travelling from Yaingangpokpi towards Ukhrul, came under heavy fire near Roudei (TM Kasom) village from militants positioned on Patleijang hill.
Police alleged that the attackers were armed Kuki militants who had taken tactical positions along the route before launching the assault.
During the attack, 57-year-old FCI truck driver Nitish Kumar, a resident of Hooghly district in West Bengal, sustained critical gunshot injuries and died at the scene.
A police personnel attached to Litan Police Station was also injured in the exchange of fire.
The convoy was being protected by a joint team comprising personnel from the Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and the Rapid Action Force.
Security forces have since launched extensive search and area domination operations in the region to track down those responsible for the attack.
The incident has drawn condemnation from truck drivers’ associations, which said transporters have continued supplying essential commodities across the state despite ongoing security challenges.
The ambush occurred amid renewed tensions along the Imphal-Ukhrul corridor. In a separate incident on the same day, five members of the Kuki community were injured when security forces fired tear gas while attempting to clear road blockades erected by protesters demanding the safe return of 14 missing Kuki individuals.
The protests are linked to a broader dispute involving missing persons from both Kuki and Naga communities. Six Naga men are also reported missing, prompting demonstrations by Naga groups seeking their release.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased driver.
“Ambushing goods vehicles and taking the life of a driver who plays a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential items across the state is one of the most cowardly acts,” the Chief Minister said.
Manipur continues to grapple with ethnic tensions and security challenges. The historic Kuki-Naga conflict between 1993 and 1998 claimed around 750 lives, while the Kuki-Meitei violence that erupted in 2023 has resulted in more than 260 deaths.
