14 killed in attacks, gunfights; houses torched
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 28 2023: Armed militants launched coordinated attacks on numer-ous villages in the foothill areas amidst the escalating corn mu nal violence between Kukis and Meeteis, resulting in the death of at least 12 individuals, including a minor and a Manipur Rifles jawan during the offensive and counter-attacks by security forc-es.

Additionally, several civilians suffered injuries during the as-sault while hundreds of houses have been torched.

The targeted villages, locat-ed in various districts, bore the brunt of the attack between 1:30 and 3:30 am on Sunday.

The sus-pected armed Kuki militants used sophisticated weapons of varied calibres including sniper rifles, causing extensive damage.

14 killed in attacks, gunfights; houses torched

Shockingly, hundreds of houses were set ablaze, leaving a large number of civilians homeless.

The scale of devastation caused by the attack is evident from the fact that at least 44 individuals were injured.

Currently, six of them are under treatment at RIMS Hospital, while five are under care of Jivan Hospital.

Furthermore, 11 individuals are being treated at MIMS, seven at Raj Medicity, and 15 at Chu-rachandpur District Hospital.

The situation remains tense as the violence between Kukis and Meeteis continues to escalate, with this latest attack further exacerbating the communal strife in the state.

Phayeng Armed militants attacked Phayeng Khunou Freedom Hills around 1:30 am in which one civilian was killed and another injured.

The deceased victim has been identified as Angom Basanta (29) son of Ingojao of Phayeng Thumkhong Tam-pak and the injured as Angom Premjit (29) son of Ingojao of Phayeng Khunou.

The latter was rushed to RIMS hospital where he underwent surgery.

Local source said that the armed Kuki militants attacked the village on Sunday around 1.30 pm when the villagers were asleep.

Kadangband Earlier, at around 12.30 am, armed Kuki militants attacked houses in Singda Kadangband Part 1 following which local youths armed with licensed firearms re-taliated resulting in a shootout lasting till 9 am.

State security forces went for the armed mil-itants after which the gunfight ceased.

Later, in the afternoon, state security forces destroyed a bunker used by the armed mili-tants at Kangchup Hmar village.

Local residents recounted that 22 Assam Rifles posted at Geljang gave multiple assur-ances to the Kadangband res-idents that they will prevent any armed attack from the Kuki militants.

However, the attacks take place whenever the AR per-sonnel show up.

On Saturday, AR troops came in the area and stayed in the abandoned house of the village chief and a church ground.

Sunday's armed attack began as soon as the AR troops arrived there, the residents al-leged and demanded withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the area.

Angered by the incident, Kadangband locals surrounded the AR troops and forced them to leave.

An AR jawan was also found injured after he was hit by grenade splinters fired by the Kuki militants, the residents claimed.

Consequent to the inci-dent, residents of different local-ities from Kadangband to Phum-lou along Uripok-Kangchup road blocked the route preventing movement of Assam Rifles and central forces.

Sugnu and Serou

On the other hand, large num-ber of armed Kuki militants carried out a coordinated attack on Meetei villages in Sugnu, Serou and Wapokpi areas in Bishnupur district on Sunday fromaround 1.30 am.

As the well-armed militants start-ed attacking the villages, the residents fled for their lives, following which the militants burned several houses.

On receiving the report, state forces rushed there resulting in shootout.

At least seven persons including a havildar of 2nd Ma-nipur Rifles and three militants were killed in the incident and around 30 others were injured.

The deceased victims have been identified as 2nd MR Havildar Thokchom Kiran (47) son of Shyamkeshwar of Puma Heituppokpi Leikai, Khundrak-pam Ojit (45) son of late Maipak of Salungpham, Ningthoujam Momocha (21) son of Imo of Sekmaijin, Ningthoujam Gand-hi (40) son of Manishwar of Kakching Khunou.

Th Kiran, who's attached to CDO, and civilian Ningthoujam Momocha were hit by snip-er.

Gandhi died on the way to hospital while another civilian, Kh Ojit of Salungpham died of heart attack Eight injured victims of Sug-nu, Serou and Wapokpi villages including a CDO jawan were evacuated by ambulance vans of Jivan Hospital, Kakching and Medilane Kakching Branch, to Jivan Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

Four were evacuated to Thoubal dis-trict hospital and several others brought to Imphal.

On the other hand, 15 injured persons along with two victims were also reportedly rushed to Churachandpur district hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Lunkhon-thang (28) of Sajik Tampak and Thangminlen (25) of Makhao village.

Locals said that the armed militants also launched the at-tack from Lanching village, a Kuki settlement using automat-ic rifles and sniper as the locals used license guns to defend themselves and surrounded the village.

In the meantime, armed militants from Serou area also came towards the vil-lagers while burning houses on their way.

Fierce gunfight ensued when state security forces arrived.

After several hours of gun-fight, the civilians armed with licensed gun entered Lanching village during which one civil-ian suffered gunshot wounds, which was reportedly fired by a woman, suspected to be a cadre of Kuki militant group.

The woman along with two others was also shot dead and the villagers set ablaze the houses.

Some other Kuki vil-lages were also burnt in the skirmish during which some of the mob also suffered bullet injuries.

Kakching DC Somorjit Salam, SP Kakching Shrey Vats along with CDO, AR and BSF person-nel also came there on receiv-ing the information.

However, local residents blocked them at Langmeidong area denying entry of Assam Rifles stating that they have no trust in Assam Rifles.

As a result, the DC and SP along with CDO and BSF per-sonnel proceeded ahead leaving the AR personnel behind.

Bishnupur At least three persons lost their lives and as many as 200 Meitei houses set ablaze as armed Kuki militants report-edly attacked Meitei villages in Chandonpokpi and Kamson Tampak under Kumbi police station in Bishnupur district on Sunday around 2:35 am.

The deceased persons have been identified Angom Yaiphaba (16) son of Ingoba of Wangoo Ahallup Parking, Thokchom Naotomba (30) of Wangoo Thongjao Makhong, and Khumanthem Kennedy (27) son of lboyaima of Lan - goubi village.

One Naoroibam Naobicha daughter of Indrajit of Wangoo Pungjao Makhong also sustained gunshot wounds.

In the attack, a total of 150 houses in Napat and around 50 in Tangjeng Ahallup, which belongs to Meetei community, were set ablaze by the militants.

According to local sources, around 2:35 am some armed Kuki militants came down from the nearby hills and started firing several rounds indis-criminately before torching the houses.

Police source said that on re-ceiving information, Bishnupur district commandos along with BSF personnel rushed there and engaged in gunfight with the militants.

The gunfight lasted till Sunday morning until the militants fled the scene when additional security forces ar-rived.

Security personnel saw some militants fleeing the area carrying at least seven bodies and 15 injured persons.

Yaingangpokpi In Imphal East district, armed Kuki militants torched some houses of Meetei commu-nity in Gwaltabi village under Yaingangpokpi police station on Sunday around 3.30 am.

On receiving information, Imphal East commandos along with BSF personnel rushed there.

On seeing the security forces, the armed militants opened fire n them.

Both sides engaged n gunfight, which lasted till 0 am.

Police source suspected ca-ualties and injuries among the rmed militants as they fled the rea carrying bodies.

A police onstable and eight Meetei ci-ilians were also injured in the ncident.

They were rushed to NIMS hospital.

Later, secu-ity forces recovered a rocket auncher, one 12 bore rifle with 1 live rounds from the hideouts f the militants.

Meanwhile, well-armed Kuki ilitants came down from Si-ai designated camps from the earby hill of Yaingangpokpi on Sunday around 7 pm.

There was exchange of gunfire with Indian Army deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, around 2,000 villagers of Serou are taking shelter at Sugnu MLA K Ranjit's house at Serou bazar Maning and they are unable to move out of the village as Kuki militants have blocked all their routes and constructed bunkers at different places along the Se - rou-Sugnu road.

MLA K Ranjit, who was not at his ancestral house when Kuki militants attacked the village in the wee hours Sunday, reached Sugnu and making concerted efforts to evacuate the trapped villagers staying in his house.