BISHNUPUR: Two personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed while two others were injured in an alleged attack by kuki militants in Manipur on Saturday.
In another incident a gunfight broke out between two groups in Manipur killing one on spot, police said.
According to the police, the CRPF personnel were attacked by Kuki militants starting from midnight till 2:15 am at the Naranseina area falling under the Moirang polling station in the Bishnupur district bordering Churachandpur district.
Sub-inspector Nizamuddin Sarkar from Assam’s Kokrajhar district and head constable Arup Saini from West Bengal’s Bankura district lost their lives in the attck. The injured were identified as inspector Jadav Das and constable Aftab Das.
The personnel who lost their lives are from the CRPF 128 Battalion deployed at the Naransena area in Bishnupur district in the state.
According to some locals, the attack by the gunmen led to a gunfight which continued for about two hours. The gunmen reportedly also used bombs during the attack.
“…At around 12.45 am, we received information that a group of suspected Kuki militants and their supporters, who were armed with sophisticated weapons and bombs, fired upon the CRPF personnel deployed on the western side of 2nd India Reserve Battalion headquarters at Naranseina Mnaing. The security personnel retaliated and the firing lasted about 40/50 minutes,” a police officer wrote to the district magistrate in an internal communication.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, which has been the voice of the Kuki-Zo tribals during the ethnic conflict, claimed the Meitei militants carried out the attack.
“The ITLF vehemently condemns the attack on Kuki-Zo areas near Khoirentak in Bishnupur district…Kuki-Zo tribals have always appreciated the presence of central security forces and we have lauded their efforts in protecting the lives of civilians,” the ITLF said in a statement.
Gunfight breaks out in Manipur, one dead
A gunfight broke out between two groups in Manipur, following which a 33-year-old man was found dead, police said on Saturday.
The gunfight happened at Sinam Kom on the border of the Kangpkopi and Imphal East districts on Friday night, they said.
A 'village volunteer', Laishram Prem alias 'Bungomcha' was reportedly hit by a bullet and he fell into a deep gorge. The 33-year old's body was retrieved on Saturday morning.
Security forces were deployed in the area to prevent a flare-up.
Manipur LS polls
Manipur Chief Electoral Officer, Pradeep Kumar Jha on Friday highlighted higher turnout and minimal incidents of violence in Outer Manipur in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls.
"Till the last report that we received about an hour back, the voting percentage was in the range of 75 per cent and no major hiccups were reported," said Manipur Chief Electoral Officer.
He also said that people came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise during the second phase of voting. One incident of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioning was reported at a polling booth and no major hiccups were reported.
"Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, the 13 assembly segments... The voting has remained peaceful... One incident of damage to EVM has been reported so far. We are looking into it and have been following up with all the districts and they have reported that voting has been peaceful," he told ANI.
Jha further said that voting in the Outer Manipur constituency had been relatively more peaceful compared to the 2019 election.
"People have turned out in huge numbers. As compared to the previous elections, the election in Outer Manipur has been very peaceful... We are very hopeful that by late evening today, we should have a clear picture. Except for one or two incidents, nothing major has happened and voting has been very encouraging," Jha added.
According to the voter turnout app of the Election Commission of India, 78.78 per cent of votes were recorded till the last report.
Earlier, re-polling was held in 11 polling stations of the Inner Manipur constituency on April 22, after multiple incidents of violence were reported during the first phase of polling on April 19.
Polling for the second phase in 88 seats across 13 states and Union Territories (UTs) ended at 6 pm.
The first phase of voting for the seven-phased general elections was conducted successfully on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories.
According to the Election Commission, the overall voter turnout in the opening phase was recorded at over 62 per cent.
The next round of polling will be held on May 7. The counting of votes and results will be declared on June 4.
