sangram Online: India’s Manipur has become turbulent again. A woman was shot dead by Kuki militants. The state police gave a statement that 9 people including two policemen were injured.
The state’s home department said in a separate statement that one more person had died. The death toll stands at two.
According to NDTV quoting the state police, the firing started at around 2.30 pm local time on Sunday from Nakhuzhang village of Kangpokpi district inhabited by Kuki people towards Kadangband in Imphal West inhabited by Meitei.
A 31-year-old woman named Surbala Ngangbam was killed. Another person lost his life due to gunshot wounds. But his identity is not known. A total of 9 people, including a 12-year-old daughter of Surbala, were injured in the firing of miscreants. Among the injured are two policemen and a journalist. The shooting continued till 6 pm.
Meanwhile, there have been allegations of drone bombings in Manipur on this day. Residents of Kadangband village claimed that apart from firing, bombs were also targeted at houses by drones. A police officer was injured by a bomb dropped from a drone. A video of bomb dropping has gone viral on social media. It has been seen that the villagers are running to save their lives.
In a post on social media X, the Manipur Police said, ‘Alleged Kuki militants used high-tech drones to drop numerous bombs (RPGs). Drones are commonly used on battlefields to drop bombs but the use of drones for bombings against security forces and civilians in Manipur is alarming.’
Meanwhile, the Kukis blamed Meitei militants for Sunday’s attack. The Kukis claim that the first shots were fired from Meiteid’s direction. Manipur Congress vice-president Lamtinthang Haokip belongs to the Kuki community. “An ambush attempt by Meitei militants between the Leimakhong and Kangchup routes was repelled by volunteers from Kuki village, resulting in an exchange of fire,” he alleged in the X-Post.
The state’s BJP government achieved major success in bringing peace to Manipur last month. A peace treaty was signed between the Kukis and the Meteids, two warring groups in Jiribam district. The Manipur government claimed that both sides had agreed to lay down arms and help each other to normalize the situation.
However, this peace process of one district could not have any effect on other districts. The incident of loss of life in Kangpokpi district is proof of that.