Assam Rifles jawan, injured in Manipur militant attack, succumbs to injuries

An Assam Rifles jawan, Alok Rao, who was injured in an attack by militants in Manipur's Senapati district on May 10, died at the Command Hospital in Kolkata on Wednesday. Defence sources said militants had fired while the Army-Assam Rifles were patrolling at Dolaithabi, leaving Rao of 18 Assam Rifles injured. Although the security personnel retaliated, the militants managed to escape.

Rao was taken to the Military Hospital in Manipur by helicopter and then to the Command Hospital in Kolkata. He is the first para-military personnel to be martyred after the Army and Assam Rifles were deployed in Manipur after the May 3 violence.

The violence in Manipur has claimed the lives of 73 people, injured 250, and resulted in the destruction of government and private properties.


The internet ban in Manipur will continue for another five days, the state government said. Mobile internet was banned on May 3, while all other forms of internet were suspended on May 4.

"A delegation of @INCManipur leaders apprised me of the tremendous difficulties which the people of Manipur had to go through during these troubling times. A team of observers are being sent shortly to ascertain the ground realities," Kharge said on Twitter.

SECURITY TO TRUCKS

The Assam Rifles has provided security to the stranded goods-laden trucks to enter Manipur and to go to various districts to ensure that violence-affected people get uninterrupted supply of essentials. Following the ethnic violence and clashes in Manipur since May 3, hundreds of goods-laden trucks, vehicles and oil tankers have been stranded on the Manipur-bound National Highways. There is a serious crisis of essential items, medicines, transport fuel and cooking gas.

Manipur government's security advisor Kuldiep Singh on Wednesday said that the situation in Manipur has improved. "There are no incidents and the state government, including security forces, are putting in all efforts to check unfounded rumours," he told the media.