Imphal: At least eight security personnel were injured when heavily armed suspected Kuki militants targeted combined security in a coordinated ambush in Indo Myanmar border town Moreh, in Manipur’s Tengnoupal District on Tuesday.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has raised high suspicion of involvement foreign mercenaries from Myanmar in the attack on combined security forces in Moreh.

According to sources, combined teams of security forces of Manipur Police Commando, Special Commando, BSF, AR and Gorkha Regiment were patrolling at Canan Veng, Chavangphai and S. Mojol in Moreh town in the early Tuesday morning. And at around 6:30 am, the suspected heavily armed Kuki militants launched a coordinated ambush on the security forces using RPGs, Local Made Bomb launchers and automatic rifles.

The security forces retaliated and heavy gunfight ensued between the forces and the militants. In the gunfight, five commandos and three BSF jawans were injured. Of the injured, four commandos and one BSF jawan who were seriously injured were airlifted and brought to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Imphal and are undergoing treatment.

The injured commandos who were undergoing treatment at RIMS are identified as Maibam Thoiba, Ch. Herojit, Kamei gaihemlung and M. Premkumar. The Injured BSF is identified as Head Constable of 192 BSF Battalion Rabindra Singh from Rajasthan.

Later in the afternoon, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh visited RIMS and checked on the conditions of the state security personnel and BSF jawan injured during the attack at Moreh. The Manipur CM also spoke with the families of the injured personnel.

Speaking on the sidelines of the visit, Biren said “the bullets even penetrated bulletproof vehicles causing injuries to the security personnel. It has proven that Kuki terrorists are using sophisticated weapons”.

 “We have seen videos leaked from the militants and terrorist groups, where they are using sophisticated weapons. Central forces and State forces are countering them and search and combing operations are widely going on”, he said. He also said that reinforcements have also been sent to assist the security forces stationed there.

He also expressed his firm commitment to the people that the government will not succumb to such threats and pressure and will take necessary measures to counter such terrorist activities.

Manipur has been on the boil since May 3rd, 2023 as ethnic violence has resulted in the deaths of over 200 individuals and more than 60,000 people being displaced.