In fresh escalation of violence in Manipur, three people from the Meitei community, including a father-son duo, were killed allegedly by militants in Manipur’s Bishnupur district in the early hours of Saturday, reported PTI.
The incident sparked off tensions in the area at the border of Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district and the Kuki-Zomi dominated Churachandpur district. Kwakta is at the border of the two districts.
Police said that the three were shot dead while they were sleeping and later slashed with swords at Kwakta. The assailants reportedly came from Churachandpur district, which was the epicentre of the May 3 violence, police said.
“The three used to stay in a relief camp but had moved to their residences in Kwakta on Friday after the situation had improved,” police said.
Following the incident, an irate mob gathered at Kwakta and wanted to head towards Churachandpur but was stopped by security personnel, police said. Heavy exchange of fire between state forces and militants was going on at nearby Phougakchao and in the vicinity of Kwakta, according to police.
The incident comes two days after the burial of 35 Kuki-Zomi people sparked tensions along the border of the two districts.
Manipur police on Friday said a joint security force conducted an operation in the Koutruk hill range and destroyed as many as seven illegal bunkers.
Meanwhile, the 24-hour general strike called by the coordinating committee of 27 assembly constituencies in Manipur on Saturday paralysed normal life in Imphal Valley, with markets and business establishments remaining shut in almost all localities.