Asem Bhakta Singh, Special Correspondent North East
Imphal: (Waari Singbul Network) A father-son duo among four persons were killed and seven others hurt in separate incidents as fresh violence spread across Manipur since Wednesday night.
Suspected Kuki miscreants intruded into Ningthoukhong Kha-Khunou Meitei village in Bishnupur district and opened fire at three persons on Thursday evening around 4.30, said Heisnam Tarjit, organization secretary of Chingtam Liching Lup, a social organsiation of the area.
The unprecedented onslaught resulted in killing the trio- Thiyam Somen (54), Oinam Bamoijao (61) and his son Oinam Manitomba (35)- on the spot, he added.
Bishnupur police retrieved the bodies and deposited them at the district’s hospital before being brought to the mortuary of the Imphal- based RIMS hospital for autopsy.
On the other hand, suspected Kuki militants attacked a Meitie village at Kangchup aera in Imphal West district bordering Kangpokpi district on Wednesday night around 11.
In the onslaught, a Village Defence Volunteer (VDV) Takhellambam Manoranjan (26) was killed and another volunteer, Mangshatabam Wanglen sustained bullet wound .
Takhellambam Chittaranjan, cousin brother of deceased Manoranjan of Thiyam Konjin in Imphal East district said that about an hour ahead of the incident he called up his wife and told her that he was at the Kangchup foothills to defend the Meitei village from Kuki militants’ constant attacks.
“Last night around 10pm, my cousin brother rang up his wife and informed her that he would either come back home holding high the Salai Taret firal ( Meitie’s traditional and cultural flag) or his body being wrapped by the flag and brought back,” an emotional Chittaranjan said.
In another incident, three BSF personnel were injured after a fierce mob attacked Thoubal district police in the night. The mob demanded the government to send state police reinforcement at Moreh town to counter militants’ continual attacks on state security forces there.
To destabilize the tense situation, district magistrate (Thoubal) clamped indefinite curfew in the whole district.
Police said that the mob “targeted the 3rd IRB headquarters at Khangabok and 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 live rounds. As a result, 3 BSF personnel sustained bullet injuries,” said the police in a statement.
Assistant sub inspectors Sobram Singh and Ramji and constable Gourav Kumar, who sustained injuries in the attack are undergoing treatment at Raj Medicity in Imphal.
In yet another incident, the state police also came under violent attack at Moreh on Wednesday night, leaving three commandos- riflemen K Premananda (1st IRB), Md Abdul Hasim and Songsuathui Aimol of 3rd IRB, injured.
Large number of womenfolk held protest rallies in the valley districts, seeking the Centre to hand over the charge of Unified Command (UC) chairman to chief minister N Biren Singh.
The protestors alleged that the role of Kuldiep Singh, security advisor to the state government, as head of UC is not proficient to handle the unceasing crisis besieging the state.
