Army Officer abducted from Manipur's Thoubal district, found later

The incident, possibly linked to extortion due to prior threats to Singh's family, prompted a joint effort by security agencies to rescue him. This marks the fourth such incident in Manipur's ongoing conflict, highlighting a concerning trend of targeted attacks on military personnel and civilians

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army, Konsam Kheda Singh, was forcibly taken from his residence in Thoubal district, Manipur, by "anti-social elements" on Friday. He was recovered safely later in the evening. Reports indicated that the incident occurred around 9 am when a group of individuals barged into Singh's home while he was on leave. The perpetrators, reportedly armed, abducted him using a vehicle. While the motive behind the abduction remains unclear, initial assessments suggest a possible link to extortion, as Singh's family had previously received threats of such nature.

Upon receiving the distressing news, a joint effort among security agencies has been launched to locate and rescue the abducted JCO. Security forces are conducting thorough checks on vehicles traversing National Highway 102 in pursuit of leads.

This chilling incident marks the fourth in a series of similar occurrences amid the ongoing conflict in Manipur. Previously, there have been targeted attacks on soldiers, their relatives, or those on duty.

In September 2023, Serto Thangthang Kom, a former Assam Regiment soldier associated with the Defence Service Corps (DSC) in Manipur's Leimakhong, was kidnapped and subsequently killed by an armed group.

Just two months later, four individuals, relatives of an Army soldier deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, were abducted and killed while travelling from Churachandpur to Leimakhong.

Additionally, in a separate incident, on February 27, an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) from Manipur Police was assaulted in his residence in Imphal city by members of a radical Meitei group identified as Arambai Tenggol (AT).

The series of abductions and targeted attacks underscore the volatile security situation prevailing in Manipur, raising concerns about the safety of military personnel and civilians alike.