Violence continued in Manipur as suspected militants targeted a village in Kangpokpi district and burnt down at least two houses and engaged in exchange of fire with security forces. A large group of militants were armed…

Violence continued in Manipur as suspected militants targeted a village in Kangpokpi district and burnt down at least two houses and engaged in exchange of fire with security forces. A large group of militants were armed with sophisticated weapons and attacked Chawangkining Naga village around 10:30 pm on Tuesday, officials told PTI. This came hours after Kuki women were shot dead at Leisangphai in Tamenglong district.CRPF personnel deployed in the nearby area retaliated, the official said.”Intermittent firing was reported for nearly six hours till 4.30 am on Wednesday. The CRPF returned fire, preventing the militants from entering the village,” the official said, adding that two wooden houses at the periphery of the village were burnt down.Suspected Manipur militants gun down four in 2 districts; CM terms attacks on civilians ‘cowardly’Senior Naga Naga Peoples’ Front leader Awangbou Newmai on Wednesday condemned the killing of two women and burning down of houses at Chawangkining.In a statement, Newmai said, “These kinds of barbaric and senseless acts will never bring any good things to any community.”.Kuki MLA from Saikul constituency in Kangpokpi district also condemned the killing of the two women and said one of the victims graduated in nursing recently.Alleging the involvement of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K cadres in the killing, she said, “The killing of the innocent women is an act of sheer brutality that cannot be justified by any political cause, ideology or grievance.”The two women were killed when they were in an islolated field in the interior village of Leisangphai to collect firewood.The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Chonga Sitlhou and Kimboi Singson (30), officials said, adding that locals claimed several villagers could not be traced.The ethnic conflict has led to violence in the north-eastern state since May 2023. The fighting between valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities has resulted in the loss of at least 306 lives, while 49 people are missing and thousands have been displaced.

Source: Deccan Herald