Manipur: 3 killed in fresh violence; indiscriminate firing by suspected militants

Suspected militants raided the Kwakta Lamkhai village in Manipur and started indiscriminate firing which killed the three people on the spot. A heavy exchange of fire was going on between state forces and militants at nearby Phougakchao and in the vicinity of Kwakta, sources said.

Imphal (Manipur): In a fresh incident of violence, three people, including an elderly man and his son, were killed in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on the intervening night of Saturday and Friday, police said. Suspected militants armed with guns and swords raided the Kwakta Lamkhai village and started indiscriminate firing which killed the three people on the spot.

A few people were also injured in the attack. Unconfirmed reports said that the militants also kidnapped two villagers. The remaining occupants of the village fled as a result of the attack. Police with additional reinforcement have rushed to the areas and recovered the bodies. The deceased were identified as Yumnam Pishak Meitei (67) and his son Yumnam Premkumar Meitei (39) and a neighbour Yumnam Jiten Meitei (46). Further details of the incident are awaited.

The assailants allegedly came from Churachandpur and, after the incident, an angry mob gathered at Kwakta and tried to head towards Churachandpur but was stopped by security personnel, police said. Also, the officials said that a heavy exchange of fire was going on between state forces and militants at nearby Phougakchao and in the vicinity of Kwakta.

On August 4, Manipur police said a joint security force conducted an operation in the Koutruk hill range and destroyed as many as seven illegal bunkers. Meanwhile, the 24-hour general strike called by the co-ordinating committee of 27 assembly constituencies in Manipur on Saturday paralysed normal life in Imphal Valley, with markets and business establishments remaining shut in almost all localities. (with agency inputs)