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Colonel Viplav Tripathi served in Mizoram until his transfer to Manipur in July this year, Assam Rifles said on Saturday adding his “goodwill for the society will last an eternity”.
Col Tripathi, the commanding officer of the Khuga Battalion of Assam Rifles, his wife and six-year-old son and four personnel of the paramilitary force were killed in an ambush by terrorists in the Churachandpur district of Manipur on Saturday morning, officials said.
The attack took place near S Sehken village under Singhat sub-division when Col Tripathi along with his family and the other personnel of the paramilitary force of the Indian Army were returning from Behiang, a border post around 10am.
The Assam Rifles said in a statement they suspected that the insurgent group responsible for this massacre “must be from PREPAK (People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak) cadre as the PREPAK remembrance day is celebrated on 12/13 November 2021”.
“In the firefight which followed with the Militants (Suspected PREPAK/ PLA cadres) the Commanding officer and three QRT (quick response team) personnel lost their lives on the spot,’ Assam Rifles said in a statement.
It said Tripathi’s wife and son were also killed in the attack and that injured personnel were admitted at the Behianga health care centre.
“During his tenure at Mizoram, under his able and energetic leadership, the Battalion has been at the forefront in Border management thwarting illegal smuggling in the IMB and hinterland. Battalion has also recovered several weapons & War like stores which could have landed in the hands of Anti National elements thus avoiding major casualties,’ the oldest paramilitary force in the country said in a statement.
“Col Viplav though his remarkable endeavors has bonded closely with the locals of Mizoram. The Anti Drug campaign conducted by his battalion in January 2021 received several laurels and praise & the awareness was rightfully created by him in the entire state including the remote villages to ensure the youth are guided in the right direction,” the statement said.
Later, defence minister Rajnath Singh indicated one more personnel of the force was killed in the Manipur ambush and said that perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.
“The cowardly attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur, Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. The nation has lost 5 brave soldiers including CO 46 AR and two family members. My condolences to the bereaved families. The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon,” he tweeted.
Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said that state and paramilitary forces have already started tracking down the attackers.
‘Strongly condemn the cowardly attack on a convoy of 46 AR which has reportedly killed few personnel including the CO & his family at CCpur today. The State forces & Para military are already on their job to track down the militants. The perpetrators will be brought to justice,’ Singh tweeted.
