Manipur Violence: Four Killed, Several Injured, Three Missing in Separate Incidents

Four people were killed, several others injured and three reported missing in separate incidents in Manipur’s Imphal East and Thoubal districts, police said on Monday.

In Imphal East, suspected militants allegedly opened fire on a group of firewood collectors near Nongshum village on Monday, killing three people and injuring two others, according to a police official.

Around 10 people had gone to the hilly, forested area in the morning to collect firewood when suspected militants allegedly ambushed them. Two people were killed on the spot, while two others sustained injuries. A third victim later succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Imphal, where he was undergoing treatment.

The deceased were identified as Arubam Ronil, 55, Lairenlakpam Inaobi, 44, and Kh. Sushil, 32. All three were residents of Nongshum.

Three other people were reported missing following the incident. Efforts were underway to retrieve the victims’ bodies, while additional security forces were rushed to the area to search for the missing people and track down the attackers.

In a separate incident, one person was killed and several others injured in clashes between members of two communities in Thoubal district, prompting authorities to impose prohibitory orders in the affected areas.

According to a police official in Imphal, the violence erupted at Khangabok village, under Thoubal police station and around 25 km south of Imphal, on Sunday night. The trouble reportedly began when a group of people allegedly pelted stones at a ground where a music concert was being held.

The situation escalated into stone-pelting between members of the two communities in Khangabok and neighbouring Sangaiyumpham. A few houses and vehicles were also set on fire during the clashes.

Amid the violence, unidentified miscreants opened fire, hitting a man in the head. The injured man, identified as Laishram Rakesh, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Several other people sustained minor cut injuries after being struck by stones and were admitted to a hospital for treatment. Additional state and central security forces were deployed in the affected villages to prevent further escalation.

The situation was under control by Monday morning, police said.

Following the clashes, the Thoubal District Magistrate issued prohibitory orders on Sunday night, directing residents of Khangabok and Sangaiyumpham not to leave their homes from 11 p.m.

The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), cited the likelihood of a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity and an imminent threat to human life and property due to the alleged unlawful activities of anti-social elements. It did not specify when the restrictions would be lifted.

Meanwhile, more than 25 houses were set ablaze in separate incidents in Manipur’s Kamjong district over the preceding 24 hours, with suspected militants allegedly targeting areas inhabited by both Naga and Kuki communities. The attacks forced civilians to flee their homes and take shelter in forests and a nearby security camp.

As many as 14 abandoned houses belonging to the Naga community were set on fire by unidentified attackers in Pilong and Skipe villages along the India-Myanmar border on Sunday, a police official said. Additional security forces were deployed following the incidents.

The houses had reportedly been abandoned after earlier attacks on the Naga-inhabited villages.