2 killed, 9 others injured in Manipur gunfight

The death of the woman took the toll to 227 since the Meitei-Kuki conflict started in May last year. Sporadic incidents of firing and arson have continued along the inter-district boundaries, despite the presence of central security forces including the Army.

Guwahati: A Meitei woman and another individual were killed while her eight-year daughter and eight others were injured on Sunday during a gunfight along Manipur's Meitei-dominated Imphal West and Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district.

The female victim, Ngangbam Surbala, 31, died at the Koutruk village in Imphal West at around 2 pm following an exchange of fire. The woman was shot in the head and died immediately while her minor daughter was struck on her right arm. Five others, including two Manipur police commandos, also received bullet injuries.

In a social media post at around 9.30 pm, Manipur police said Kuki militants allegedly used RPGs and high-tech drones to carry out the attack. "While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfare, this recent use of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and the civilians marks a significant escalation."

The DGP asked all SPs to remain vigilant and carry out combing operations with the help of the central forces.

Kukis had fled the Meitei-dominated Valley districts including the state capital Imphal while Meiteis quit the Kuki-dominated districts after riots broke out in May last year.

Kuki Inpi Manipur, an apex body of the Kukis, issued a statement on Sunday evening, saying that the firing from both sides took place following a "calculated attempt" to ambush Kuki-Zo civilians along Kanggui-Lamka Road. It said the firing took place between a "combined force" of Arambai Tenggol, a Metei radical armed group, Valley-based insurgent groups, the state police on one side and the Kuki-Zo "village volunteers" on the other. The organisation, however, did not talk about the casualties.

The death of the two individuals took the toll to 228 since the Meitei-Kuki conflict started in May last year. Sporadic incidents of firing and arson have continued along the inter-district boundaries, despite the presence of central security forces including the Army.

The fresh firing took place a day after the Kuki-Zo communities staged a protest in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur against Manipur CM N Biren Singh.