Fresh incidents of firing by suspected Kuki militants are coming from Manipur on June 3. At least 15 people were injured when Kuki militants opened fire in two villages in Manipur’s Imphal West district.
Manipur police confirmed the latest firing by militants on June 2 night and June 3. Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons and bombs attacked two villages in Manipur’s Imphal West district and injured at least 15 villagers in two nearby villages.
The Meiti community villages Phayeng and Kangchup Chingkhong in the hilly areas were targeted by the Kuki militants. Manipur state police and Manipur Rifles stationed at the two villages retaliated, leading to an exchange of fire that lasted for more than four hours on June 2 night. Later on June 3 morning the Kuki militants opened fire on the security personnel, and gun fights between the security forces and militants lasted for several hours. Security forces later pushed back the militants to nearby hills, the Manipur police informed.
The injured villagers were admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and Raj Medicity in Imphal, where the conditions of the two injured are stated to be critical.
Notably, reports of fresh attacks in the last twenty-four hours were also coming from Pombikhok in the Bishnupur district. But no casualties were reported from the district. Police sources said that Kuki militants opened fire on several villages from a safe distance as security forces were present in all sensitive areas. Police sources said that the motive behind the firing was to create panic amongst the villagers.
Meanwhile, seven unidentified bodies were recovered by a joint team of Manipur Police, Border Security Force and Assam Rifles from the Sugnu-Serou area in Kakching district. Heavy gunfights took place in the Sagnu area between security forces and Kuki militants after the Kuki militants attacked Sagnu and Serou areas. The bodies are suspected to be of militants killed in clashes with security forces.
It should be mentioned that at least 98 people lost their lives, and 310 others were injured in the ethnic violence in the state that broke out on May 3, exactly one month ago, the Manipur government confirmed it in a statement released on June 2. A total of 37,450 people are currently sheltered in 272 relief camps, reads the statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of Manipur.
Earlier this week, union home minister Amit Shah visited troubled, torn Manipur for four days and held meetings with several groups, civil society and other stakeholders. Home Minister Shah announced that a panel headed by a retired chief justice of the high court will conduct an enquiry into the violence. Besides that, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would investigate 6 cases registered on rioting in the state under the direct supervision of the central government.
The clashes in Manipur first broke out on May 3 during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised in the hill districts by tribal student union to protest against the Meitei community’s inclusion in Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. The protest was supported by the church’s committee, and during the solidarity march, suspected Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons attacked the Meitei community villages in the hill districts.
Meanwhile, the State police on June 2 said that a total of 140 weapons had been surrendered at different places across Manipur.
Weapons like SLR 29, Carbine, AK, INSAS Rifle, INSAS LMG, .303 Rifle, 9mm pistol, .32 pistol, M16 rifle, smoke gun and tear gas, local made pistol, sten gun, modified rifle, JVP and a grenade launcher were surrendered by people who were suspected to be looted from police during the violence. Indian army also recovered 40 Weapons (mostly automatic), including mortars, ammunition and War Like Stores in a joint team operation of the Army, Assam Rifles, Police & CAPFs from multiple locations. The operation was conducted under surveillance cover of UAV and Quadcopters.
Moreover, curfew has been relaxed for 12 hours (between 5 am and 5 pm) in Imphal West, Imphal East and Bishnupur. In some other districts like Jiribam, Thoubal, Kakching, Churachandpur and Chandel, the curfew has been relaxed from 7 to 10 hours during the daytime.
