Imphal: Fresh violence has been reported from trouble-hit Manipur as terrorists killed innocent civilians and young kids sleeping at night. Suspected Kuki terrorists attacked a villager’s house in Moirang Tronglaobi village of Bishnupur district, using a rocket launcher, killing two children and triggering panic in the conflict-prone region.
Local sources stated that the projectile struck a residential house in Tronglaobi village. A woman and her two very young kids were sleeping inside the house where the rocket hit and caused a powerful explosion which killed the lives of two young children. The mother is also reportedly injured in the brutal attack. The blast from the projectile completely damaged the house. Neighbours were left in shock as they rushed to rescue those inside damaged in the projectile blast.
The Tronglaobi village, where the attack took place, lies in the peripheral belt of the Bishnupur district close to the elevated hill areas of the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district. The locality has long been considered vulnerable because of its proximity to hill positions reportedly occupied by armed Kuki groups. The Meitei villagers believe that the rocket has been fired from the hilltop where the Kuki militants have set up bankers within a range of 3 to 4 kilometres.
After the attack, security forces have launched a massive manhunt, with additional deployments rushed to the sensitive belt to prevent further escalation. Authorities are also trying to safeguard other such vulnerable villages in the nearby area and also conducting surveillance and search operations.
To add fuel to the tense situation, on the evening of April 6, a seven-year-old girl who had been reported missing from the Akhampat relief camp was found dead in a nearby area under suspicious circumstances.
The minor victim was currently staying in a relief camp and belonged to an IDF (internally displaced family) from Moreh. A post-mortem examination would confirm the exact cause of death as sexual assault before killing is suspected in the preliminary report. Police have taken one suspect into custody, who is a resident of the same relief camp.
Post the attack the internet services in the district of Manipur. Imphal (East-West) Kakchin, Thoubal and Bishnupur have been banned.
Civil society organisations and community leaders have strongly condemned the violence and demanded swift justice as well as stronger protection for vulnerable civilians, particularly displaced families living in relief camps.
The Meitei Heritage Society, in a statement, said that this has been a pattern and operating model for Chin Kuki Terrorists. Whenever there is a semblance of normalcy, these Terrorists attack/abduct/kill civilians, usually the soft target women, children, babies, farmers or villagers for maximum damage.
Moirang was also the same place where militants last year fired missiles on civilians that killed a Meitei priest. Suspected drone attacks were also carried out in Koutruk, killing another woman. Authorities said investigations into both incidents are underway while security forces remain on heightened alert in sensitive areas.
