2015 Manipur Ambush Case: NIA arrests terrorist involved in attack on Army convoy that left 18 dead

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a member of a banned Manipuri terrorist organisation who was allegedly a part of the team that carried out an audacious attack on an army convoy in June 2015, in which 18 soldiers were killed and 15 other injured, an official spokesperson said here.

The details of the place of arrest were not given out by the NIA and the spokesman only said 22-year-old Moirangthem Nimaichand Meitei was an active cadre of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Noyon) group.

Meitei was also in the team that was involved in the ambush near Paraolen village in Chandel district of Manipur on June 4, 2015, he said.

This was the worst-ever terror attack on the army which saw 18 personnel dead and 15 seriously injured.

The accused was produced before the special judge on February 20 where he was remanded in seven days of NIA custody.

However, sources said that the accused had been detained by a combined team of the NIA, Gorkha Rifles and Bishnupur police in Manipur on February 3 from Ningthoukhong area.

The anti-terror probe agency, which investigated the case, had ascertained that the the total number of militants who participated in the attack was 23 out of whom two were killed in the retaliatory action by the Army in Chandel district of Manipur, officials said.

Army trucks were attacked with 'Lathod guns' and grenades by suspected terrorists of NSCN (Khaplang) and other groups. The militants had formed three groups to carry out the attack and explosive-laden cans were planted alongside the road to maximise the damage, they said.