Imphal: Fresh violence erupted in Manipur after the killing of two Kuki women by suspected Naga insurgents in the Tamenglong district on Tuesday.
Heavily armed gunmen from suspected Kuki outfits retaliated by attacking the Chawangkining Naga village in the Kankpokpi district around 10.30 pm. Two houses were set on fire.
The Kuki insurgents then exchanged fire with CRPF troops till 4.30 am on Wednesday. The security personnel were successful in preventing the militants from entering the village.
The two women were shot dead at the Leisangphai village in Tamenglong. They have been identified as 60-year-old Chonga Sitlhou and Kimboi Singson (30). Several houses were also set on fire.
Villagers claimed that several residents could not be traced after the attack. The bodies of the two women were found lying in a field with gunshot injuries. The two had apparently gone to the field to collect firewood, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The killings came two days after four people, including two women, were shot dead in the Tamenglong and Noney districts.
On September 13, a woman and her husband were killed, and their infant son injured after suspected militants attacked Tollen Kuki village in the Tamenglong district. A woman and a man were shot dead by armed militants at Longpi village in Noney district on the same day.
Tuesday’s killings were condemned by both Nagar and Kuki leaders. A major Kuki organisation based in Churachandpur district said the mortal remains of the two women would not be claimed until justice is served. In a statement, the Kuki Inpi Manipur also questioned the authorities’ silence on repeated attacks on community members.
“The Kuki Inpi Manipur has decided that, however difficult and painful it may be for the bereaved families, the mortal remains of the two deceased women shall not be claimed until justice is attained,” the organisation said.
“Where are the central and state governments? How much longer will the authorities remain silent in the face of repeated attacks on innocent Kuki-Zo civilians,” it questioned.
The continued targeting of innocent civilians and the apparent failure of the authorities to protect them are pushing the situation towards an extremely dangerous point, the Kuki Inpi Manipur claimed.
The ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 between the valley-based Meiteis and the hill-based Kukis has claimed at least 306 lives, with 49 individuals remaining missing and thousands left homeless.
