Kuki onslaught continues at Sugnu, one hurt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 18 2024:
For the fifth consecutive day today, Kuki militants bombarded Meitei villages in Sugnu and rained bullets on security forces and village youths keeping vigil in the area, injuring one person.
The village volunteer received minor injury and was rushed to a Community Health Centre.
He is in stable condition and may be discharged after treatment, said sources.
Meanwhile the intensified bombings damaged many houses and properties in different Meitei settlements in Sugnu, Kakching district.
The Kuki militants reportedly launched the continued attack on civilian settlements from Lailoiphai and Dongyang Kuki villages of Churachandpur district.
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Yesterday night, Kuki militants fired a salvo of bombs and bullets damaging many houses in different parts of Sugnu.
The heavy exchange of fire between Kuki militants and State security forces and village volunteers lasted the whole night.
The firing paused for a few hours before the Kuki militants continued their attack at around 4 am today.
The intense gunfight raged on till 8 am.
While intermittent and indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants continued till evening, their simultaneous attacks on different villages in Sugnu intensified from 4 pm.
There was heavy exchange of fire till the time of filing this report.
Sources said the Kuki militants reportedly used thermal drones in the attacks at Sugnu.
Even as the militants have intensified their attacks at Sugnu, sources said IGP Zone I Manipur Police has been stationed in the area since yesterday.
State security forces are on highest alert in the area, said the sources.
Notably, Kuki militants have been attacking Sugnu since the past few days and their attacks have only intensified amid the tension boiling in Churachandpur after the Mini Secretariat which houses several Government offices including the offices of the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police were burned down on Thursday night.
In video clips of the incident widely circulated on social media, a large mob was seen taking down the Indian Tricolour and vandalising the Mini Secretariat in an apparent insurrection against Government authorities and offices.
Reportedly, two people were killed when security forces opened fire to disperse the mob.
While the insurrection was believed to be a reaction against the suspension of a Head Constable of the Manipur Police, a strong suspicion has been raised from many sectors alleging that the Mini Secretariat was targeted with an agenda to erase important documents.
Many including the Coordinating Committee on Ma-nipur Integrity (COCOMI) have alleged that the Mini Secretariat was targeted to destroy documents after the State Government announced that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be updated with 1961 as the base year.
Organisations have claimed that the scale of the Thursday night insurrection, as a reaction to the suspension of the Head Constable was "unreasonable and outrageous".
The organisations asserted that suspension of a Head Constable of the police will "never" invite such insurrection against Govern- ment authorities and offices.
The Mini Secretariat was "targeted" to destroy important documents, said COCOMI.
Meanwhile, Head Constable, Siamlalpal was suspen- ded after a video of him taking position with armed miscreants in a bunker surfaced on social media recently.