Postal Services Suspended in Manipur Following Highway Mail Van Attack

Imphal: Postal operations across Manipur's Ukhrul district are suspended indefinitely. Unidentified miscreants intercepted a mail van on National Highway-202 near Shangkai Kuki village this past Monday. The attackers seized 37 mail bags. They set the bags on fire between Yaingangpokpi and Litan Road. This route connects Mokokchung, Nagaland, to Imphal.

Ukhrul Postmaster Wungreipam Rimai confirmed the destruction. The cargo included passports, ATM cards, educational certificates, medicines, clothing, and parcels. The Ukhrul Post Office lost 32 bags, including 23 parcels, two speed post bags, three ordinary mail bags, and two registered letter bags. The Somdal Post Office lost four bags, specifically one parcel bag, two speed post bags, and one ordinary mail bag. The Kamjong Post Office lost one mail bag.

Authorities lodged an FIR at the Litan Police Station. The incident occurred 25 minutes from the Ukhrul headquarters. The Working Committee of the Kuki Civil Society Organisations, currently enforcing a counter-economic blockade, acknowledged intercepting a truck but claimed it carried vegetables and groceries. They did not address the burning of the mail.

The attack happened despite regional security deployment. Critics labeled the event a significant lapse in protecting vital government infrastructure. One local youth leader warned that "failure to act decisively would only embolden lawbreakers and further undermine public trust." The Department of Posts is now assessing the damage as residents wait for word on their missing, irreplaceable documents.