Manipur: Banned outfit claims bomb blast at Assam Rifles camp

Imphal: Two days after a grenade attack on the heavily guarded Assam Rifles Transit Camp at Minuthong in Imphal, banned militant outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Progressive) or PREPAK (Pro) has claimed responsibility for the attack as a response to a recent ‘surrender’ by armed cadres of four underground outfits.

The incident happened at around 7:50 pm on Wednesday, in which one jawan, identified as Bimal Rai of 43 Assam Rifles, was injured as he tried to diffuse the bomb hurled at the gate.

The proscribed outfit cited the attack as a response to the recent homecoming ceremony for 20 cadres of four different underground groups, including one cadre of the PREPAK (Pro), who surrendered with arms before chief minister N Biren Singh having decided joined the mainstream.

The attack was carried out by PREPAK (Pro)’s Cobra task force (CF) in response to the “Homecoming Ceremony Drama”, a statement issued by the group said.

The group said that such an attack would not have much impact, but it was carried out “to display that the outfit can still inflict damage,” adding that it was to prove that “a loose assemblage of homecoming drama will fall flat.”

The statement also said that the state’s leaders will not be able to resolve the movement by following the advice of the “Modi-Shah” government, who emulate Chanakya’s teaching on governance.

Also read: Assam Rifles jawan injured in grenade attack in Manipur

Stressing on the rise of drug-related cases in the state, the outlawed outfit also said that at a time when the state is reeling under the ever-increasing menace of drugs, the ‘Homecoming Ceremony’ was just a tactic to divert from the main issue.

Meanwhile, in a joint operation, troops of Assam Rifles of Mantripukhri Battalion and Manipur Police apprehended an insurgent of the PREPAK (PRO) group from the Litan Makhong area of Imphal East district on March 10.

The arrested cadre has been identified as 27-year-old Chanamthabam Prasanta Roy alias Abung alias Mangang, a resident of Lairikyengbam Leikai Salan Leirak of Imphal East district.

As per the official report, the apprehended insurgent individual confessed to being an active member and recruiter of PREPAK (PRO) and that he had joined the banned outfit in June 2019.

“Any affiliations of the apprehended cadre with the grenade lobbing incident at Transit Camp Minuthong is also being investigated and ascertained,” the report said.

The insurgent has been handed over to the Heingang Police Station for further investigation and legal action.

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