IMPHAL :  Suspected militants ambushed the advance security convoy of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Kangpokpi district on Monday, leaving one personnel injured, police said. The convoy was on its way to violence-hit Jiribam district.

Multiple gunshots were fired at the vehicles of the security forces, who retaliated, they said, adding, that the shootout is still on near Kotlen village along a stretch of National Highway-53. At least one personnel suffered bullet injuries during the attack, police said.

 “CM Biren Singh, who is yet to reach Imphal from Delhi, was planning to visit Jiribam to take stock of the situation in the district,” an official told PTI.  Two police outposts, a forest beat office and at least 70 houses were torched in Jiribam by suspected militants on Saturday.

 Chief Minister N Biren Singh has strongly condemned the ambush on his advance convoy team, describing it as a direct attack on him and the people of Manipur. In response, Singh announced that the state government would implement stringent measures to reestablish law and order.

 The Chief Minister voiced his condemnation during a visit to SHIJA Hospital, where he met with the security personnel injured in the attack. While addressing the media, Singh emphasized the gravity of the ambush, likening it to a direct assault on the state’s authority and its citizens.

 “From the very beginning of the crisis, the state government refrained from harsh retaliation, hoping for a resolution through mutual understanding,” Singh stated. “However, this incident, which directly targets state machinery, is unacceptable. It appears as though the perpetrators are acting with the belief that there is no governing authority in place.”

Singh assured that the government would now adopt rigorous measures to restore order, seeking the support of the people. He also shared that he has been closely monitoring the violence in Jiribam, even while in Delhi, and plans to visit the district soon with concerned officials.

The ambush occurred at T Laijang near Kotlen on NH 37 Jiribam road, around 10:30 am. One security personnel, identified as Moirangthem Ajesh (28) from Thanga Ngaram, Bishnupur district, sustained injuries. Dr. Jugindra Sorokhaibam, a consultant and general surgeon at SHIJA Hospital, confirmed that Ajesh is in stable condition but requires surgery to remove a foreign object from his chest.

 The incident unfolded as the Chief Minister’s advance security team was en route to Jiribam to ensure safety ahead of Singh’s planned visit. A joint team of police commandos and Assam Rifles is conducting search operations to apprehend the suspected armed militants responsible for the ambush.

 An advance security team tasked with ensuring the safety of Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s upcoming visit to Jiribam was ambushed by suspected armed militants near T Laijang, close to Kotlen on NH 37 Jiribam road at around 10:30 am on June 10.

 Reports confirm one security personnel sustained injuries during the ambush. In response, a joint operation comprising police commandos and Assam Rifles is currently under way to locate the perpetrators and secure the area.

 Chief Minister N Biren Singh, scheduled to visit Jiribam tomorrow, had dispatched the advance team earlier today to assess the safety and security situation in the region. However, their journey was interrupted by the ambush near Kotlen along National Highway 37.