Colonel, Wife & Son Dead in Manipur Terrorist Attack
An Assam Rifles Colonel, his wife and eight-year-old son, and four soldiers were killed in an ambush by terrorists near the border with Myanmar in Manipur.
Manipur, like many of the north-eastern states, has many terrorist groups that are fighting against the Indian government demanding independence to form their own country. For decades, the Army has been deployed in Manipur to manage the situation. Assam Rifles is a paramilitary force that focuses on catching terrorists in the North-East and maintaining peace. On 13th November 2021, Colonel Viplav Tripathi, Commanding Officer of 46 Assam Rifles had gone to visit a military base in Manipur. After his visit, Tripathi along with other officers left the camp in a convoy of cars. He was accompanied by his wife Anuja (36) and son Abir (5). At around 11 am in a remote village near the Myanmar border, the convoy of cars were attacked by terrorists. The terrorists threw an IED bomb after which there was heavy firing from both sides of the road. Colonel Viplav Tripathi, his wife, son and 5 other soldiers lost their lives in the attack. This is the 1st time such a deadly attack has occured in Manipur. Manipur-based terrorist groups People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Manipur Naga People's Front (MNPF) have claimed responsibility for the attack. A similar incident had occured in 2015, where 20 soldiers were killed in an attack by terrorists in Manipur, after which the Army launched a surgical strike on their camp. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences and condemned the attack.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted that a counter-operation has been launched to track down the terrorists. Colonel Tripathi was posted in Mizoram before Manipur. People in Mizoram's capital Aizawl who knew the Colonel say he was a very polite officer and would often help civilians in his area. Tripathi is from Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. It was his grandfather who was a freedom fighter and a politician who inspired Viplav to don the army uniform. A pall of gloom descended on Raigarh town when the news reached, with locals rushing to his house to express their condolences.
