GUWAHATI: A tribal woman was allegedly shot, captured and burned to death by the militants as violence returned to strife-torn Manipur after a brief lull. The militants also torched houses in the area.
The attack, perpetrated at a tribal village ‘Zairawn’ in the Jiribam district on Thursday at around 9 pm, had ensued a gunfight which continued for about an hour. The village is around 7 km away from the district headquarters Jiribam.
Kuki-Zo organisation Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Friday claimed that Zosangkim Hmar, a 31-year-old woman and mother of three children from the village, was shot, captured and burned to death.
The police confirmed that there was a gunfight and houses were burnt but did not confirm the report of death. The police said they were conducting an investigation.
“Zosangkim was hit by a bullet in the thigh when the shooting began, said her husband, Ngurthansang. Zosangkim was a teacher at the local Hermon Dew English Junior High School,” the ITLF said in a statement.
Quoting Ngurthansang, the organisation said the assailants allowed him to leave with his elderly parents and three children, aged between four and eight years but refused to let him take along his wife.
The ITLF added that the charred body of the woman was recovered inside the family’s home on Friday morning.
Official sources said a team of forensic experts was headed to the village.
In a social media video, some women can be seen carrying the “charred remains” of the woman.
“The attackers also killed some dogs and took away seven two-wheelers. Seventeen houses and three stores were burned down during the attack,” the ITLF said.
The ethnic violence, which broke out on May 3 last year between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals, has so far claimed the lives of around 250 people. Some 60,000 others were also displaced.
