Ten Militants Killed in Manipur CRPF Camp Attack, Armed Group's Miscalculation Proves Fatal

In a major escalation of violence in Manipur’s Jiribam district, ten armed men were killed during an attempted assault on a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) camp on Monday. The attackers, part of a larger group targeting homes, shops, and relief camps in the area, were caught off guard by a CRPF bulletproof multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) stationed outside the camp, which opened fire on them with a Light Machine Gun (LMG).

According to sources in the security establishment, the attackers, numbering around 40-50, initially targeted the Borobekra police station and a nearby CRPF camp at Jakuradhor around 2:30 pm. The police station, which houses a relief camp and is near several villages, was reportedly attacked to divert CRPF forces, giving other attackers an opportunity to strike at the camp and adjacent areas.

Unbeknownst to the attackers, the CRPF camp was protected by an MPV with armed personnel and a mounted LMG. The first burst from this weapon proved deadly, resulting in the deaths of most of the attackers in the initial moments of gunfire. “The gunbattle continued for about half an hour as both sides took positions and engaged,” an official stated. Most of the attackers were from the Churachandpur region, a considerable distance from Jiribam, and were heavily armed with AK-47 rifles, Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG).

The CRPF refuted allegations that the deceased were local "village volunteers," asserting instead that they were armed militants with no protective mission in the region. A senior CRPF official noted, "Nine of the ten killed were from Churachandpur. What village were they protecting 200 km away?" One CRPF personnel suffered a gunshot wound in the encounter.

Police recovered the bodies of two men from houses in Jakuradhor on Tuesday. The two were among ten people from the Borobekra relief camp who had gone missing after Monday’s violence. Additionally, six members of a family, including three children, remain unaccounted for following the attack.

This incident follows a brief lull in violence after a recent bombing in Koutruk and a rocket attack in Moirang. The current wave of violence appears to have reignited tensions in the state, with attacks and counter-attacks occurring in vulnerable villages and relief camps.