Guwahati: Manipur Police on Saturday arrested a 27-year-old militant linked to the 2021 ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy that killed five people, including a senior officer and his family.
Authorities identified the arrested individual as Sagolshem Sanatomba Singh, an active member of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and a resident of Tentha village in Thoubal district.
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During a targeted operation at Wangbal Maning Leikai, police apprehended Sanatomba, who is one of the accused in an NIA probe related to the deadly ambush.
Officers also recovered a mobile phone and two SIM cards from him, according to a statement from the Manipur Police control room.
On November 13, 2021, militants attacked the convoy of 46 Assam Rifles near S Sehken village in Churachandpur district, close to the Indo-Myanmar border.
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The attack claimed the lives of Colonel Viplav Tripathi, his wife, their six-year-old son, and four Assam Rifles jawans. The convoy was returning from the Behiang company post when it came under heavy fire.
At least six others, including a havildar, the commanding officer’s driver, and three Quick Reaction Team members, sustained injuries in the ambush.
The outlawed PLA and the Manipur Naga People’s Front (MNPF) jointly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Following the incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched an extensive investigation and, on January 6, 2022, announced a Rs 6 lakh cash reward for information leading to Sanatomba’s arrest. He was among ten insurgents named in the case.
The NIA registered a case under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the ambush.