Three killed after assailants attack village in Manipur

Guwahati: Three people, including a woman, were killed following an attack by unidentified armed assailants in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Friday.

Armed cadres of an unidentified group attacked Loibol Khullen village, a police official said. The attack was met with retaliation from another armed group, leading to a violent clash between rival groups that lasted almost half an hour. Three villagers, including a woman, were killed in the crossfire. The deceased were identified as Letkhongam Haokip, his wife Tinmary Haokip and Jangminlal Haokip. After the incident, citizens who panicked left their homes and took shelter in nearby forest areas to escape the violence.

The official also said, “While 7 houses were reduced to ashes in the attack, civilian properties in the village also suffered great damage.”

Prime Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned in the strongest terms the brutal attack on Loibol Khullen village in Kangpokpi district on Friday morning, which resulted in the death of three innocent civilians. Describing the act as heinous and cowardly, the CM said that deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians was completely unacceptable and the government would not spare those responsible for the barbaric attack. He directed the state police and central security agencies to catch the perpetrators as soon as possible.

Singh also condemned the fatal stabbing of Havildar Kh. Suresh Singh (4th IRB under CDO Thoubal) while on duty on 3 June. He praised the Thoubal District Police for promptly arresting the main accused. The CM expressed his condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased police personnel.

Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribal community in the state, strongly condemned the attack and demanded an immediate investigation to identify and capture those responsible. KIM secretary (Information and Publicity) Janghaolun Haokip said in a statement that the intentional killing of innocent people and destruction of homes and livelihoods is a serious violation of human dignity and fundamental human rights. “The deliberate targeting of civilians and the destruction of houses cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the statement said.