Team News Riveting
Imphal, November 13
The Commanding Officer (CO) of 46 Assam Rifles and his family, including his wife and son, were killed in an ambush while travelling through Behiang in Churachandpur district on Saturday.
The commanding officer has been identified as Colonel Viplav Tripathi, a resident of Raigarh in Chhattisgarh. His father Subhash Tripathi is a senior journalist while his elder brother is also an officer in Indian Army and posted in Manipur.
Official sources have confirmed a terrorist attack on the convoy of 46 Assam Rifles in Churachandpur district of Manipur on Saturday. According to official reports, Commanding Officer of 46 Assam Rifles Viplav Tripathi visited his Behiang Coy post on Friday, November 12 along with wife Anuja and son Abir. They stayed in the camp for the night and were returning on Saturday when terrorist ambushed the convoy of three vehicles near Behiang, about 4 km from the Behiang police station, at about 10 am on Saturday.
“Col Tripathi was returning back from Behiang when his vehicle and the escort vehicle were ambushed by an unknown underground militant group,” a Manipur police spokesperson said. The rebels first detonated the powerful landmine and blew up the vehicles in which the officer and family were travelling in.
Sources said Col Tripathi and his wife died on the spot while eight-year-old son succumbed to the injury on way to the hospital. After the blast, rebels opened indiscriminate firing. Four jawans were also killed in the ambush. Meanwhile, three injured in the incident were taken to Behiang Primary Health Centre.
While no militant organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, sources said banned Manipuri militant outfit, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is suspected to be behind the attack.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that the perpetrators would be “brought to justice”. “Strongly condemn the cowardly attack on a convoy of 46 AR which has reportedly killed few personnel including the CO & his family at CCpur today. The State forces & Para military are already on their job to track down the militants,” he tweeted.
Union Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh condemning the act wrote, “The cowardly attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur, Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. The nation has lost 5 brave soldiers including CO 46 AR and two family members. My condolences to the bereaved families. The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.”
