A journalist with a local TV channel sustained injuries on Saturday as armed assailants, suspected to be Kuki militants, launched a second day of attacks on Meitei villages in Imphal East district.
The injured journalist, identified as Leimapokpam Kabichandra, was covering the firefight when he was struck by a bullet around 7.30 am, according to The Indian Express. He was rushed to a private hospital in Imphal, where he is being treated for a gunshot wound to his left thigh.
The violence escalated early in the day as armed attackers reportedly used sophisticated weapons, including bombs, targeting Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages. State police and Central forces were dispatched to the scene and engaged the militants in a gunbattle, followed by a joint search operation. No arrests have been reported so far.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh strongly condemned the incident, labelling it a “cowardly and unprovoked attack.”
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“Strongly condemn the indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East, which injured civilians and security personnel. This cowardly and unprovoked attack on innocent lives is an assault on peace and harmony,” the Chief Minister posted on X.
He assured that adequate security personnel had been deployed to the affected areas and that the injured were receiving necessary medical assistance. Singh urged residents to remain calm and united in the face of such challenges.
The assault began in the early hours, with the attackers deploying sophisticated weapons, including bombs, in Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi villages. Meanwhile, the All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur strongly condemned the targeting of working journalists.