IMPHAL: Three men collecting firewood were killed and three others injured when gunmen attacked their group near Nongshum in Manipur's Imphal East district on Monday, according to reports.
A PTI report said two people had died, four were injured and three were missing after suspected militants opened fire near the Imphal East-Kangpokpi district boundary. Later reports by The Indian Express and The Assam Tribune said a third victim died while being taken to hospital. The toll stands at three dead and three injured.
The dead were identified as Arubam Ronil, Lairenlakpam Inaobi and Kshetrimayum Sushil. The group had gone to the hills near Nongshum to collect firewood when it came under fire. The reports differed on the precise time of the attack and Inaobi's age.
Residents later carried two bodies to Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh's residence in Imphal and placed them outside the gate. Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters and moved the bodies to a hospital. The Chief Minister subsequently visited the injured at Raj Medicity Hospital.
Local MLA Thokchom Lokeshor Singh alleged that Kuki-Zo militants were involved and sought the removal of the nearby Sinai Suspension of Operations camp. He also claimed that Assam Rifles personnel had assured the collectors of protection, The Indian Express reported. Neither claim had been independently confirmed.
The victims have been identified as Meitei men. No official police statement identifying a group responsible for the attack was available in the reports reviewed.
The attack occurred near the boundary between the Meitei-majority Imphal valley and Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. Manipur has faced recurring ethnic violence since May 2023. The latest killings and the protest at the Chief Minister's residence have renewed pressure on the state government to identify the attackers and prevent further violence.