Manipur: Assam Rifles soldier fires at colleagues, shoots himself dead
An Assam Rifles soldier allegedly opened fire at his six colleagues on Wednesday morning before shooting himself dead at his battalion in south Manipur, said officials. "All injured have been evacuated to Military Hospital for further treatment and reported to be stable," a statement by the Assam Rifles said. The injured soldiers are non-natives of Manipur, the Assam Rifles said.
Assam Rifles issues statement
A probe has been launched into the incident, officials said, adding that the motive for the shooting remains unknown. In its statement, the Assam Rifles said that the "unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict" in Manipur. It also asked people to avoid spreading misinformation and rumors, given the ongoing ethnic tensions in the northeastern state.
Soldier recently returned from vacation
The deceased soldier was a non-commissioned officer (NCO). He reportedly belonged to the Kuki tribe. According to reports, he had recently returned from a vacation. On Tuesday night, he loaded his rifle and opened fire at his colleagues before shooting self. "Police will probe the reasons for this fratricide incident," an official said.
Read what Manipur Police said on X
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