NIA arrests man wanted in connection with ambush on Assam Rifles

New Delhi, Feb 23 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said it has arrested a man wanted in connection with a case related to an ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in 2021 in Manipur.

A group of armed militants near Sialsih village in Churachandpur district in Manipur had attacked a convoy of the 46th battalion of the Assam Rifles on November 13, 2021.

The individual arrested by the NIA in connection with the ambush has been identified as Solomon Jamir a.k.a. Momo, a resident of Imphal East, Manipur. He is a cadre of the Manipur Naga Peoples' Front, a militant outfit.

The ambush had resulted in the death of seven persons, including Col. Viplav Tripathi, his wife and minor son, and four other Assam Rifles personnel.

The case was initially registered at Singngat police station in Manipur, and later on, the probe into the matter was taken over by the NIA.

"Investigation has revealed that Solomon Jamir was directly involved in the ambush, along with other militants. He had been evading arrest in the case and a reward of Rs 4 lakh was announced for his arrest. The four other accused persons have already been arrested in the case earlier by NIA. A chargesheet was also filed in the case in 2022," said the NIA.