Three people were killed and two others were injured in a village in Manipur on Friday when a group of insurgents dressed as security personnel called them out of their homes on the pretext of a combing operation and fired at them, officials said.
The incident took place in Khoken village on the border of Kangpoki and Imphal West districts. The assailants and the victims belonged to different communities, and the former are believed to be Meitei.
Search Operation Launched By Security Forces
Security forces on a routine patrol of the village intervened when they heard the sound of gunfire. The bodies were recovered by Assam Rifles. Later, a combined team of the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles and the Army conducted a search operation.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. The ethnic clashes have claimed over 100 lives until now.
Reports of violence, including the burning of houses, were received from two other districts but there has been no official confirmation of this as yet.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) said that the latest attack is yet another example of the “utter disregard” shown by insurgents and demanded swift action against the perpetrators.
“The incident has also violated the peace process initiated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. We urge the authorities to take decisive action against the insurgents,” ITLF said.
No Urgent Hearing On Internet Ban
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to urgently list a petition challenging the internet shutdown currently in force in the State of Manipur. A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal said that the Manipur High Court is already hearing the matter and hence, there is no need to duplicate the proceedings. An indefinite internet ban has been imposed in Manipur since May 3 after violence broke out in the State.
