GG News Bureau
Manipur, 28th April. New violence was reported from Manipur, the state police reported. On Sunday, a shootout broke out between village volunteers of the warring tribes of Kuki and Meitei.
The exchange started when “dozens of armed men” opened fire on Koutruk village, which is on the outskirts of the Imphal Valley, from the nearby hills in the Kangpokpi district, according to a senior official who spoke with news agency PTI.
The officer added that some of the bullets had penetrated the villagers’ homes’ walls and that women, children, and elderly people were being evacuated to neighboring safe places.
He added that “pumpis,” or mortar shells created locally, were also utilized. The officer mentioned that the gunfight started as a result of the local volunteers in Koutruk retaliating against this initial onslaught.
“Security forces are being rushed to the area to bring the situation under control,” he stated.
Since the start of the ethnic violence on May 3 of last year, Koutruk has witnessed numerous violent skirmishes between local volunteers from the two sides. The village is among the “most vulnerable areas” in terms of gun attacks.
In addition to thousands of people being displaced, the fighting has taken over 200 deaths. The event on Sunday, however, occurs just one day after a militant attack in the Bishnupur district claimed the lives of two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops and injured as many more. This is the first time a central force has been targeted in this area in almost a year.
According to people familiar with the situation, more than a dozen unidentified attackers launched grenades at the CRPF post just after midnight on Saturday before opening fire with a large round of bullets, characterizing the incident as a “pre-meditated attack”.
