Assam Rifles jawan, injured in Manipur militant attack, succumbs to injuries

Imphal: Assam Rifles jawan Alok Rao, who was injured in an attack by militants in ethnic strife-hit Manipur’s Senapati district on May 10, succumbed to his injuries at Command Hospital in Kolkata on Wednesday, defence officials said.

As per officials, militants had fired during an Army-Assam Rifles area domination patrol at Dolaithabi, leaving Rifleman Rao of 18 Assam Rifles injured. After the security personnel retaliated, the extremists managed to escape.

Rao was evacuated to Military Hospital in Manipur by a helicopter and then to Command Hospital in Kolkata.

Rao was the first para-military personnel to be martyred after the Army and Assam Rifles were deployed in Manipur, where widespread ethnic violence broke out on May 3, claiming the lives of 73 people and injuring 250, and resulted destruction government and private properties.

Defence sources said that over 7,000 Army and Assam Rifles personnel, including women personnel, have been engaged in area domination to ensure early restoration of complete normalcy in Manipur.