GUWAHATI: Four persons, including a father-son duo, were killed in two separate incidents in Manipur since Wednesday night.
A village volunteer was killed, while another was injured during a gunfight at Kangchup Range on the border of Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts around 11 pm the same night.
The deceased was identified as Takhellambam Manoranjan (23) and the injured as Mangshatabam Wanglen, both Meiteis. Around 4.30 pm on Thursday, unidentified gunmen opened fire at Ningthoukhong Kha-Khunou Meitei village in the Bishnupur district bordering Churachandpur district, leaving three persons dead.
The deceased were identified as Thiyam Somen (54), Oinam Bamoijao (61) and his son Oinam Manitomba (35). The bodies were taken to a hospital in Imphal for post-mortem.
On Wednesday evening, three BSF personnel sustained bullet injuries during a confrontation with a mob in the Thoubal district.
“…an irate mob targeted the 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion (3IRB) in Khangabok, Thoubal District. Security forces repelled them using the minimum necessary force. Further, the mob attempted to breach Thoubal Police Headquarters, prompting the security forces to use legal force. Armed miscreants from among the mob fired with live rounds. As a result, 03 (three) personnel from BSF sustained bullet injuries,” Manipur police wrote on X.
The injured personnel – assistant sub-inspectors Sobram Singh, Ramji and constable Gourav Kumar – were evacuated to a local hospital for treatment. After the incident, curfew was reimposed in the entire Thoubal district. The violence in Thoubal broke out hours after two police commandos were killed and five other personnel injured in two separate attacks by the Kuki militants in the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh in the Tengnoupal district, the police said.
The town remained tense for the past few days after the police had arrested two persons, both Kukis, suspecting their involvement in the killing of a police officer there in October last year. According to reports, the Centre decided to rush additional forces to Moreh. Meanwhile, protestors, primarily women, took out rallies on Thursday demanding that the Centre entrust CM N Biren Singh to head the Unified Command as chairman.