Three people collecting firewood in a forest were killed by armed militants on Monday in Manipur ’s Imphal East district, officials aware of the matter said, the latest round of violence in the bruised state where clashes have claimed at least 306 lives since 2023.
A survivor of the ambush – who identified himself as Thokchom Kiranjit – said, “Today we went to collect firewood. Three others are injured. Both villages are in the Meitei-dominated Imphal East district bordering the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. The families of the victims claimed that the attackers belonged to Kuki community but there was no official confirmation. There were no deaths in the incident. When we reached the spot we saw some unidentified armed miscreants hiding behind a pile of firewood… one of us shouted at them, asking who they were. We ran back to safety for our lives. As news of the killing spread, an irate Meitei mob breached security outside the chief minister’s residence and parked a truck carrying the bodies of Inaobi and Ronin in front of the main gate of the house in Babupara, Imphal. Security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Around 9am, militants opened fire on 16 firewood collectors – all belonging to the Meitei community – at Khongban Sunurok village in Imphal East district. Police said the deceased were identified as Lairenlakpam Inaobi, 57, Arubam Ronin, 35, – both from Nongshum village – and Keshtrimayum Sushil, 32, from Uyumpok village. This is the first incident of conflict between Meiteis and Kukis after July 13, when armed Kuki groups attacked Meitei residents in Bishnupur’s Torbung Bangla. In the last few months, at least 50 people have died in the northeastern state but a majority of them were inflicted by Naga-Kuki clashes. “Around 16 villagers went to Khongban Sunurok village to collect firewood. Instantly they opened fire from a very close range around 10-15 metres. On the same day, 48 civilians belonging to both Kuki and Naga communities were taken hostage by people from either groups. Two days later, 14 people from each community were set free. But 14 Kukis and six Nagas remained captured. After 27 days of protest and appeals for unconditional release of both the hostages, UNC, along with other Naga civil bodies, released 14 Kuki civilians on June 9. But on June 10, mutilated bodies of six Naga hostages were recovered, ratcheting up tensions.
Some armed miscreants with red ribbons on the barrel of sophisticated rifles, who had taken position behind a pile of cut firewood, opened fire towards them,” said Ngangom Darashing Meitei, father of Suraj. Police said bodies were recovered and deposited at Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), Imphal West.
