Violence in Manipur escalated on Saturday, with nine people, including a woman and a Nepali citizen, killed in clashes between Kuki and Naga groups in three districts of the state over the past 24 hours. At least 14 homes were set ablaze, police officials said.
Police said that, after receiving information about the construction of illegal bunkers near Chassad police station, teams from the civil police, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Border Security Force (BSF) launched a drive to demolish them. Officials confirmed that an attempt was also made to set fire to Chassad police station. Locals reported that one of the three men had allegedly been beheaded by the group. A statement issued by COTU’s information and publicity wing said the shutdown was announced “in view of the grave and escalating security situation arising from the reported coordinated attacks in Chassad village Kamjong district, Yaolen Ukhrul district and along the IT Road in Kangpokpi district, involving Tangkhul and Luangmei elements associated with NSCN-IM.
During the drive, women from the area tried to disrupt the operation. Police claimed that unknown assailants opened fire at security forces, who retaliated. The woman sustained a bullet injury to her upper left chest, near the neck, and died on the spot. As tensions escalated, unidentified persons set several houses ablaze. In an attempt to stop those involved, police opened fire, leading to an exchange of fire that continued until early Saturday morning. However, there is no official confirmation, and an investigation is underway. During the ambush, Machungwangbou succumbed to his bullet injuries at the spot, while Nahason sustained bullet injuries to both legs and Mathangambou sustained bullet injuries to both legs and arms. A related video clip also surfaced on social media, showing two men carrying sophisticated assault rifles filming the beheaded Naga village guard. The three deceased were identified as Machungammamg, Ajinpou Ringkangmai and Robart. Villagers identified the beheaded Naga village guard whose body was shown in the video circulating on social media as Ajinpou Ringkangmai. Those responsible for the attack and their motive are yet to be ascertained. The armed assailants ambushed him while he was travelling in his car. Litan police recovered the body, and a case was registered in connection with the incident. COTU strongly condemned all acts of violence and intimidation directed against civilians. The statement added, “This shutdown is a precautionary measure in response to the serious security threat facing civilians. CoTU appeals to all concerned to remain vigilant, maintain peace and refrain from actions that could further aggravate the situation.”
As a precautionary measure, the district magistrate of Kamjong district imposed prohibitory orders within a 400-metre radius of Chassad police station. The violence followed the death of a 42-year-old Kuki woman who was shot during crossfire between armed groups and security forces in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Friday night, when security forces arrested some village volunteers. The victim was identified as Domkhonei Touthang (42), a mother of five children — three boys and two girls, according to the police. A Kuki women’s group, the Kuki Women Union general headquarters, claimed that, apart from Domkhonei Touthang, a 23-year-old man identified as Michael Ngamminlen Haokip was shot dead, allegedly by cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) faction and its Eastern Flank faction. At least 14 homes belonging to members of the Kuki and Naga communities were burnt. Amid the escalating tension and violence, two Naga village guards were killed in a separate incident in the district at around 9.30am on Saturday in Ningchou Chingdong village, around 17 km southeast of Chassad police station. Police identified the two deceased as Ngachanso Ningshen (30) and Leishishan Hungyo (50), both from Ningchou village in Kamjong district. The incident occurred at around 6am between Makui and Tapok villages along the Imphal-Tamenglong road in Kangpokpi district, around 15 km northeast of Chalwa police station, according to police. Police identified the deceased as Machungwangbou (35), a resident of Thalon village under Tamei subdivision. The two injured were identified as Nahason (29), from L Pabram village, and Mathangambou (30), from Kadi village. However, some armed miscreants, suspected to be Kuki militants, who had taken positions along the route, ambushed them around 2 km from Tapon village. Litan incident: Meanwhile, a commuter travelling along NH 202 (Imphal-Nagaland via Ukhrul) was killed in an ambush by unidentified armed miscreants on Saturday at Konjang village, around 12 km northwest of Litan police station in Ukhrul district. Police said the incident occurred at around 5.30am on Saturday. Police identified the deceased as Sandeep Rai (30), who was residing in Taphou Senapati Nepali village in Senapati district. Civil body reaction: The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a Kuki organisation, announced a 24-hour total shutdown across Kangpokpi district, effective from 6pm on Saturday.
A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Armed groups from across the Indo-Myanmar border might be involved in the attack. Four Naga village volunteers, including the deceased and the two injured men, rushed from Tapon village to Makui to provide assistance after receiving information that the village was under attack by unidentified armed miscreants, according to locals. Officials said both injured men were evacuated to the Senapati district headquarters for treatment. Police said the body was later taken to the mortuary of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) for a postmortem examination.
In an earlier attack on Makui on the same day, at around 5am, three Naga village guards were killed by a suspected Kuki armed group. Imphal-Tamenglong road incident: One Naga village volunteer was killed and two others sustained bullet injuries in an ambush allegedly carried out by suspected armed Kuki militants in Tapon village, Kangpokpi district, on Saturday.
