Imphal, Oct 31 (IANS): Suspected militants on Tuesday gunned down a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) at Moreh in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district, police said.

A police officer said that suspected militants attacked a police team when they were supervising the proposed construction site of a helipad at the Eastern Shine School ground at Moreh injuring SDPO Chingtham Anand Kumar, who was immediately taken to a primary health centre, where he succumbed to his bullet wounds.

The slain police officer was shot in the abdomen.

Additional security forces led by senior police and para-military officials have rushed to the area and launched a combing operation to nab the militants, he said.

The incident occurred amid the demands of various tribal organisations, particularly those based in Moreh, to withdraw the state forces from the border town Moreh, 110 km south of state capital Imphal.

Moreh town along the Myanmar border is a big trading location and inhabited by people of different communities.

Condemning the attack, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on the X, “Deeply saddened by the cold-blooded killing of SDPO Chingtham Anand, OC Moreh Police this morning. His dedication to serve and protect the people will always be remembered. The perpetrators will be brought to justice.”

Immediately after the incident, an urgent meeting of the council of ministers, chaired by the Chief Minister, was held.

After the cabinet meeting, an official statement said that while a sense of normalcy was slowly settling in, a police officer Chingtham Anand Kumar, a resident of Haobam Marak Chingtham Leikai in Imphal has been killed on Tuesday in unprovoked firing by armed Kuki militants while he was on duty overseeing the cleaning of the grounds of Eastern Shine School for construction of helipad, jointly by state force and Border Security Force (BSF).

The Cabinet condemned the dastardly act in strongest terms.

The Cabinet approved an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh as compensation to the family of Anand Kumar considering the special duty in a special area, the statement said adding that a suitable government job shall also be provided to the next of kin of the deceased martyr.

The cabinet directed the security forces to launch a joint operation in Moreh and adjoining areas to nab the culprits responsible for the crime, and to continue the same till the culprits are arrested. The Cabinet also noted that additional state forces have been detailed from Imphal for the purpose, the statement said.