A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier was killed, and three others were injured, including two Manipur Police commandos, in an ambush by suspected militants in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Sunday, officials reported.
According to Jiribam’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Thomas Thokchom, a joint team of CRPF and state police was conducting a routine patrol when they came under fire near the Mongbung and Sejang villages. CRPF jawan Ajay Kumar Jha, a resident of Bihar, was critically wounded during the attack and rushed to the Jiribam district hospital.
“He suffered bullet injuries to the head and was declared ‘dead on arrival’ at the hospital,” said Thokchom. Another CRPF jawan and two state police commandos were also injured in the ambush and are currently receiving treatment at the district hospital, where their conditions are reported to be stable.
In a social media post, the CRPF honored 43-year-old Jha for his service and extended condolences to his family.
“On 14 July 2024, during an ambush by militants of a joint party of 20 Battalion CRPF and State Police at Jiribam, Manipur, brave Constable Driver Ajay Kumar Jha sacrificed his life in the line of duty. CRPF salutes our brave soldier’s courage, valor, and devotion to the motherland. We always stand with the family of our brave man,” the CRPF stated.
Jiribam, located around 220 km from Imphal near the Assam border, is home to diverse communities, including Meiteis, Kukis, Bengalis, Nepalis, and Nagas. The district had remained relatively peaceful despite ongoing state clashes, with Meitei and Kuki groups pledging non-violence during a meeting at the police superintendent’s office in June last year. However, the recent killing of 59-year-old S. Sarat Kumar Singh, a local resident, last month brought the district to the boil, with many fleeing the region as the houses of both Kuki and Metei community members were set ablaze by mobs.
