Two killed, farmer among eight injured in gunfights
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 29 2023:
At least two persons were killed and eight others including a farmer working in his paddy field were left injured after Kuki militants launched an attack at Naranseina under Moirang police station on Tuesday morning.
One of the deceased has been identified as village volunteer Laibujam Inao (27) .
He sustained a gunshot on his head and was taken to Raj Medicity but died on the way to the private hospital.
The injured farmer has been identified as Salam Jotin (37) s/o Ibomcha of Naranseina.
He was struck by a bullet on left side of the chest and is being treated at Raj Medicity.
The other seven village volunteers also sustained gunshot injuries with some of them admitted to Shija Hospitals and other health centres.
According to reports, at about 7am Tuesday, Jotin went to work in his paddy field located near the foothills in Naranseina Maning, when Kuki militants holed up in a previously built bunker opened fire at him from Khoirentak direction of Churachandpur district.
One of the bullets struck his back (spine area) and exited through the chest area.
On receiving news of the attack, team of Bishnupur District Police Commandos, villagers and local volunteers moved into the spot and immediately took him to District Hospital Bishnupur for emergency first aid.
He was then shifted to Raj Medicity for further treatment.
Shortly after the incident, the state forces and village volunteers moved towards the hill areas but were met with heavy fire from the Kuki militants present at the bunker atop the hill, injuring around eight volunteers.
The state forces and other village volunteers retaliated the firing.
The eight injured were immediately taken to various hospitals in Imphal.
However, Inao, who sustained a gunshot wound on head, succumbed to injures while on the way to the hospital.
As per reports culled from the spot, it is speculated that the Kuki militants may have suffered two deaths and many might have injured.
Locals alleged that the central paramilitary forces deployed near the area did not take any action against the Kuki militants.
On the other hand, after learning that many were injured when Kuki militants launched an attack in a paddy field at Naranseina Maning on Tuesday morning, followed by reports of heavy gunfight with the militants in Khoirentak village area, a large number of Meira Paibi from various areas of Bishnupur district came out on the Tiddim road and controlled the flow of vehicular movement to prevent civilians from entering the area.
According to news agencies and daily update by the Police Control Room, two people, one each from the Kuki and Meitei communities, lost their lives and eight others, including a woman and a farmer, sustained bullet injuries in sporadic gun battles at the Naransena canal area of the inter-district borders of Bishnupur and Churachandpur, Manipur on Tuesday.
The second victim of the gunfight has been identified as Jangminlen Gangte, a Kuki.
J Gangte, a resident of Songbo village in Churachandpur, died on the spot.
Meanwhile, four militants belonging to different outfits were arrested in separate operations and arms and ammunition were seized from them, police said on Tuesday.
During search operations, police teams nabbed one insurgent each of the NSCN(IM) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and two overground workers of Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) (Lamyanba Khuman faction) from Imphal East and Bishnupur districts, a police statement said.
Six firearms, five cartridges and two explosives were also seized during the operations, it said.
Search operations were conducted by security forces in fringe and vulnerable areas of the five valley districts, it said.
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