Amid the ongoing violence, two persons were killed and nearly 50 injured in two different firing incidents at Pallel in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district on Friday. Among the injured, four civilians sustained bullet wounds, reports PTI.
Firing between two groups of unidentified men began at Pallel around 6 AM leading to the death of a person. He was brought dead to Kakching Jeevan Hospital, while the injured who received bullet injuries have been referred to Imphal. The condition of one of the injured admitted to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal is critical.
As news of the firing spread, a large number of people from different sides of Thoubal and Kakching districts rushed to Pallel but were stopped by Assam Rifles personnel leading to the tense face off, said officials.
A 48-year-old man was killed in the crossfire between the two groups of unidentified armed men.
Tension was palpable in the area, with security forces comprising personnel of RAF, the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
More than 45 women were also injured after Assam Rifles lobbed teargas shells to defuse the situation. An Assam Rifles jawan was also injured.
On the other hand, a contingent of RAF personnel heading to Pallel from Imphal to contain the mob was blocked by locals at Thoubal.
Meanwhile, Manipur Police on Friday tweeted that there were incorrect reports on social media that claimed that that the exchange of fire was between Kuki militants and Meitei village volunteers.
“There are posts on social media regarding the exchange of fire between Kuki militants and Meetei village volunteers, which is not correct. It is clarified that the incident was related to firing between security forces and armed miscreants at Pallel,” Manipur police wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Earlier, on Wednesday thousands of protesters gathered at Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district and tried to break through army barricades in an attempt to reach their deserted houses in Torbung, reported PTI. A call was issued by a Meitei civil society organisation, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and its aim was to enable Meiteis, who had fled Torbung – at the border of the two districts – to return to their homes.
A day before, as a preventive measure, curfew was imposed in all the five valley districts of the north-eastern state.
Ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities broke out in the state on May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status turned violence. Over 160 deaths have been reported since then.