Hundreds of truck drivers suspended operations across Manipur after a West Bengal driver was killed in an ambush on a security-escorted convoy in Ukhrul district.
BY PC Bureau
May 30: Truck transport across Manipur was severely disrupted on Saturday after hundreds of drivers suspended services in protest against the killing of a truck driver in a militant ambush on Friday. The shutdown has raised fears of fresh shortages of fuel, LPG, and essential commodities in the violence-hit state.
The protest, which brought freight movement along key routes to a near standstill, was triggered by the death of Nitish Das, a truck driver from Hooghly district in West Bengal, who was shot dead when suspected NSCN(I-M) gunmen attacked a security-escorted convoy near TM Kasom in Ukhrul district.
Transporters and driver unions demanded immediate strengthening of highway security, warning that drivers could no longer risk their lives ferrying essential goods through violence-hit areas without adequate protection.
Around 400 vehicles — including LPG tankers, oil carriers, and goods trucks — remained stranded at Keithelmanbi and other transit points as drivers refused to resume operations.
Truck drivers halt movement on NH‑37 after colleague’s killing — ‘We refuse to drive if it means dying one by one.’
In anger over yesterday’s murder of a driver, all truck drivers have launched an agitation, abandoning steering wheels in protest. pic.twitter.com/vlW3vhecti
— Poknapham / The People’s Chronicle (@PoknaphamNews) May 30, 2026
Convoy Ambushed on NH-202
The attack took place along National Highway-202 on the Imphal–Ukhrul route between Leingangching and TM Kasom under Litan Police Station limits.
According to officials, the convoy comprised 15 to 20 trucks transporting Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice stocks, LPG cylinders, and other essential commodities from Imphal toward Ukhrul town under the protection of joint security personnel drawn from the BSF, CRPF, and Manipur Police.
Gunmen reportedly opened indiscriminate fire from the direction of Patleijang village, targeting the moving convoy.
Das, who was driving a rice-laden truck, was hit while seated inside the vehicle and died on the spot. A Manipur Police constable identified as Disingam Maringmei, 34, sustained a bullet injury to his knee during the attack.
Security forces retaliated immediately, leading to a brief exchange of fire, though no casualties among the attackers were officially confirmed.
Authorities described the assailants as “unknown armed miscreants,” though the attack occurred amid heightened tensions linked to ongoing ethnic unrest and highway blockades in the hill districts.
Protest by Drivers
The killing sparked anger among transport workers, many of whom said commercial drivers had effectively become “soft targets” in Manipur’s prolonged conflict.
Driver associations demanded:
- Enhanced armed escort systems for commercial convoys
- Continuous highway patrolling in vulnerable stretches
- Full reopening and securing of National Highway-102, the state’s key supply route linking Imphal to Dimapur
Transport operators warned that unless security improves, the suspension could continue indefinitely, potentially disrupting fuel supply, LPG distribution, food transportation, and other essential services across the state.
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Tensions Linked to Ongoing Blockades
The ambush came against the backdrop of a Kuki Inpi-backed economic blockade imposed on routes leading toward Ukhrul and adjoining hill districts.
The blockade was called in protest against the alleged killing of three Kuki pastors earlier this month and the reported abduction of several Kuki civilians by Naga groups.
Security forces have been attempting to clear road blockades and restore vehicular movement, leading to clashes in some areas, including incidents involving tear gas use and injuries to protesters.
Chief Minister Condemns Attack
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the ambush, calling it a “heinous attack aimed at disrupting peace and stability.”
He expressed condolences to the family of the deceased driver and said search-and-cordon operations had been launched to track down those responsible.
For truck drivers moving through Manipur’s volatile hill corridors, Friday’s ambush has reinforced a growing fear: that the highways have become battle zones where civilians carrying food and fuel are increasingly caught in the crossfire.
