Meitei villages attacked hours before Rahul Gandhi's arrival
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 08 2024: Just hours before Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's arrival, Kuki militants launched a fierce attack on Meitei villages this morning at Jiribam.

Apart from firing indiscriminately amid a barrage of mortar shells toward the Meitei villages, the Kuki militants destroyed a Naka check post and burnt down a farmhouse located at Lalpani.

Using bombs and bullets, a large number of Kuki militants launched a fierce attack from Phaitol hill toward Meitei villages of Leingangpokpi and Gularthol, located some 6 Kms away from Jiribam Police Station bordering Jiribam and Tamenglong district along NH-37 (Imphal- Jiribam highway) at around 2.40 am, sources said.

Village volunteers retaliated and prevented the Kuki militants from advancing toward the Meitei villages.

Meitei villages attacked hours before Rahul Gandhi's arrival

On learning about the Kuki militants' attack, teams of Jiribam district police and Manipur Police commandos rushed to the frontline but they too came under heavy attack from the Kuki militants.

The security personnel also retaliated by firing several rounds of bullets toward the Kuki militants.

The battle raged on till around 6.30 am and a few armoured vehicles of Manipur Police were partially damaged in the Kuki militants' attack.

However, there was no report of any casualty.

Apart from attacking the Meitei villages and the security forces, the Kuki militants also destroyed a newly reconstructed Naka check post at Leingangpokpi and burnt down one more farmhouse located at Lalpani today morning.

The farmhouse belonged to Ashangbam Somorendro Singh alias Manao of Dibong, Jiribam.

The checkpost was earlier set on fire by Kuki militants on June 20 and it was reconstructed recently.

After the exchange of fire ceased, personnel of 39 Assam Rifles and Jiribam district police rushed to Phaitol village from where Kuki militants launched the fierce attack, and carried out a search operation.

However a large number of womenfolk belonging to the Kuki community came out on the street and tried to prevent the security personnel from going toward Phaitol village.

Nonetheless, the security personnel managed to cross the barricade and carried out a search operation at Phaitol.

Two men suspected to be Kuki militants and involved in the attack were arrested in the course of the search operation.

The arrested persons were later handed over to Tamenglong district police along with three single barrel guns seized from their possession as the area falls under Tamenglong district, said the sources.

Of the two suspected Kuki militants arrested by security forces, one is said to be a juvenile from Phaitol village while the other has been identified as Kaplal Singson (35) s/o Thangkhosem of Phaitol village.

Even though Kuki womenfolk intensified their protest demanding release of the duo, security forces carried on the search operation and seized a large number of arms, ammunition including bombs and other combat materials.

The seized items included one 303 rifle (local made), two single barrel rifles, one 12 bore local made rifle, two .32 pistol (country made), two .32 Pistol magazines, 19 live rounds of 9 mm ammunition, seven pompi bombs, five handmade explosive bombs, five vials of gunpowder, five detonators, 212 number of 12 bore cartage, 23 numbers of 12 bore empty cartage, six walkie talkie sets (Motorola Charger), three bullet-proof jackets, two bullet-proof iron plates, safety fuse wire (5 meters), two catapults (Naori), one laptop, one live round of 5.56 mm ammunition, 15 live rounds of 8 mm ammunition and 50 pieces of metal splinters.

The situation in Jiribam district is still very tense and the security personnel have been kept on high alert in view of possible attacks from Kuki militants.

Following the attack, loaded POL and LPG tanker trucks which were heading toward Imphal have been stranded.

Kuki-Zo militants launched a planned and premeditated attack on May 3, 2023 which was followed by large-scale violence across the State but Jiribam was somehow unaffected till June this year.

The Kuki militants expanded their aggression to Jiribam by murdering Soibam Saratkumar, a Meitei farmer on June 6 and burning down of Meitei villages in the following days.

In view of the war-like situation which unfolded in the district, Chief Minister N Biren was planning to visit Jiribam but the trip was aborted after his advance security team was ambushed by Kuki militants between K Sinam and T Laijang village along Imphal-Jiribam highway on June 10 .