Gun fight rocks Pallel, two civilians succumb, Kuki militant gunned down at Molnoi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 08 2023: Even as Kuki militants and village volunteers were engaged in a gun battle, two civilians were killed in firing by Assam Rifles troops at Pallel today.

In another incident at Molnoi near Pallel, one Kuki militant was killed in a gun battle with security forces today.

The Police Control Room (PCR) said that one elderly Kuki woman (85) was rescued from Pallel today and she has been handed over to the district authority of Tengnoupal.

Earlier in the day, a campaign was launched claiming that the said elderly woman was burnt alive in a Meitei attack at Pallel.

Gun fight rocks Pallel, two civilians succumb, Kuki militant gunned down at Molnoi

In the same vein, BJP candidate in the Outer seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election Benjamin Mate carried a misinformation campaign that a security personnel, complete with a picture of the security personnel, was killed in firing launched by Meitei armed miscreants.

The misinformation campaign was however called out when it came to light that said the picture was the picture of a security personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022 .

A gun fight broke out between Kuki militants and village volunteers at Pallel in Kakching district and Molnoi in Tengnoupal district at around 6.30 am today.

On learning about the heavy exchange of fire, people from Kakching and adjoining areas came out.

Later, they were joined by people from Heirok, Wangjing, Kakwa, Soibam Leikai etc.

As the gun fight continued for hours, ambulances and volunteers tried to reach the conflict zone but they were stopped by 26 Sector Assam Rifles based at Pallel.

As the number of people gathered in front of the AR barricade swelled and they became angry over AR's refusal to let them pass, the crowd tried to breach the security barricade resulting in a tense face-off between the AR troops and the civilians near Unapal junction.

In their attempt to drive back the huge crowd, Assam Rifles started firing tear gas shells.

As the tear gas shells failed to push back the crowd, AR troops started opening fire, inflicting bullet injuries to four people.

One Yengkhom Jiten (43) of Kakching Chumnang Samballei Pareng was hit by a bullet on the back and he succumbed to the injury at Jeevan Hospital.

Another civilian, Soibam Nanao (37) s/o S Nongyai of Salungpham Maning Leikai who sustained bullet injury on the head died at RIMS hospital later in evening.

In the meantime, one stray bullet hit one AR personnel on the leg.

Two other AR personnel also sustained minor injuries due to stone pelting and slingshots.

AR troops were engaged in another round of tense face-off with the Meira Paibis of Pallel at Pallel bridge in the afternoon.

As AR troops resorted to tear gas shelling, three Meira Paibis sustained injuries.

Soon after, three Casspir vehicles arrived at the scene and AR troops started opening fire, inflicting bullet injury to a civilian on the leg.

Later, the three Casspir vehicles surrounded Pallel village for around one hour and fired several rounds in the air.

Again, AR troops were engaged in another stand-off with villagers at Laimanai Chingjil.

Many people were injured in the stand-off as AR troops targeted them with tear gas shells.

According to information received from Jeevan Hospital, around 100 people were brought to the hospital's casualty ward today.