Personnel of Assam Rifles based in Mizoram on Tuesday organised a memorial service to honour five soldiers of 46 Assam Rifles, who were killed in an ambush by militants in Manipur’s Churachandpur district.
The event was attended by Mizoram governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, DGP SBK Singh and Deputy Inspector General of Border Security Force (BSF) sector headquarters, among others.
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During the brief function, which was held in Aizawl, rich tributes were paid to the five fallen soldiers.
At least five personnel of 46 Assam Rifles, including the commanding officer colonel Viplav Tripathi (41), his wife Anuja Tripathi (36) and their 6-year-old son Abeer Tripathi were killed in an ambush near Sehkan village in Churachandpur district on November 13.
The ambush was carried out jointly by Manipur based separatists group People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Manipur Naga People’s Front (MNPF).
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The incident occurred when Tripathi’s convoy was returning to their base in Churachandpur after visiting Behiang Coy post.
IEDs were used by the militants before the Assam Rifles personnel launched a counter-attack.
The other four personnel killed in the ambush were Rifleman Suman Swargiary, Rifleman Khatnel Konyak, Rifleman R.P. Meena and Rifleman Shyamal Das.
Viplav Tripati, a dynamic personality from Raigarh in Chhattisgarh had already served in Mizoram and was popular among the locals for his proactive stance and initiatives of his battalion to improve the livelihood of the locals.
Under his able and energetic leadership, the battalion has been at the forefront operationally and administratively.
A plethora of weapons, drugs and other contraband were recovered under his command during his two years stint in Aizawl between July 2019 and July 2021.
The Anti Drug campaign by his battalion in January 2021 won laurels for him and the battalion.
The final rites of Tripathi and his family members were held at his hometown Raigarh on Monday with full military and state honours.