Manipur: Three Killed in Two Separate Incidents of Firing in Ukhrul, Tension Escalate Between Naga and Kuki Groups
The authorities also claimed that armed miscreants who resorted to indiscriminate firing also set several houses on fire.
Guwahati: In the latest ethnic flare-up in the strife-torn Manipur on Friday, at least three civilians were killed in two separate incidents of firing in the Ukhrul district. According to security sources, in one incident, near Mullam village, two bodies were recovered around 11.25 am.
The deceased, identified L. Sitlhou and P. Haolai, were found in camouflage outfits with bullet injuries, officials added. While security agencies are tight-lipped, the Mullam village authority, in a statement, said that their village came under attack by Tangkhul Naga militants on Friday morning. The authorities also claimed that armed miscreants who resorted to indiscriminate firing also set several houses on fire.
Condemning the incident, the Mullam authority appealed for immediate intervention, as the skirmish may escalate the ethnic tension in the area further.
The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, meanwhile, condemned the killing of “two village volunteers” and the burning of houses at Mullam and Songphal villages. The organisation demanded immediate registration of an FIR and a time-bound investigation into the incident.
In a separate incident, a 29-year-old man, identified as H. Jamang from Chatric Khullen in Kamjong district, was killed on the spot in an ambush by armed militants near Sinakeithei village in Ukhrul district early on Friday morning, officials said. The body has been recovered, they added.
The Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex body of the Tangkhul Naga community, expressed “profound sadness” over H. Jamang’s killing.
In a statement, the organisation said, “Following constant movement and disruption along Sirarakhong and Sinakeithei (in Ukhrul district) by armed Kuki cadres, Naga village guards were posted near Sirarakhong and had gone out on patrol when they were ambushed by Kukis.”
Security sources said that tension is prevailing in the district and neighbouring Kamjong district after suspected militants killed two Tangkhul Naga civilians, including retired Army personnel, in an ambush on a civilian convoy at T.M. Kasom in Ukhrul district on April 18.
Tangkhul Naga bodies had accused Kuki militants of involvement in the killing, while Kuki organisations have denied any involvement in the ambush.
