Manipur police arrest key accused in Assam Rifles ambush, seize huge arms cache

Manipur police have arrested the prime accused linked to the September 19 ambush on Assam Rifles personnel, recovering a significant arsenal of weapons and ammunition from his possession.

Khundongbam Ojit Singh, a 47-year-old resident of Awang Leikinthabi in Imphal West district, was captured during a special operation launched at 1:00 am on Tuesday, September 23, by a joint team of Assam Rifles and other security forces in the Kameng area of Bishnupur district.

The arrest came after security agencies received specific intelligence about the presence of armed militants in the region. During interrogation, Singh admitted to being a bailed-out member of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and confessed that he continues to work for the insurgent group despite his legal status.

Singh's involvement in the deadly September 19 ambush at Sabal Leikai, Nambol, in Bishnupur district has been established through his confession. The attack, which occurred around 5:30 PM, targeted 33 Assam Rifles personnel. Following the assault, Singh and other militants fled toward Loktak Lake, where they concealed their weapons at a secret location.

Acting on information provided by the suspect, security forces recovered an extensive cache of arms and ammunition from the hideout, including an A4 rifle with four magazines, an HK rifle with two magazines, two AK rifles with five magazines, and an INSAS rifle with three magazines. The recovery also yielded 170 rounds of AK ammunition, 216 rounds of M/16 ammunition, 67 rounds of INSAS ammunition, three lathode shells, a mobile handset, a wallet, and an Aadhaar card.

The breakthrough represents a significant development in the ongoing investigation into insurgent activities in the region. Singh had previously been arrested on April 22, 2007, indicating a long history of involvement with militant organisations.

Manipur Police headquarters confirmed that interrogation of the arrested individual is ongoing, with investigators working to establish additional leads and identify other perpetrators involved in the ambush. Security forces are conducting raids based on the intelligence gathered to apprehend the remaining suspects connected to the attack.