Manipur: Shootout leaves 3 dead, 5 injured; militant outfits lift roadblock
An exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen left at least three “village volunteers” dead and five injured in Manipur’s Bishnupur district late on Saturday (July 1) night, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place in Khoijumantabi village when the gunmen opened fire on the “village volunteers” who were guarding the area in a makeshift bunker, said a policeman. The shootout reportedly lasted for several hours.
#WATCH | Manipur CM Biren Singh inspects the on-ground situation at the hills adjoining Bishnupur-Churachandpur today.
(Video source: CMO of Manipur) pic.twitter.com/6RZuRruGRa
— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023
While two bodies were found initially, the third one was recovered later. The conditions of a couple of injured villagers were stated to be serious. They were taken to a hospital in Imphal, police said.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh went to the village to take stock of the situation and interacted with the locals.
Also read: ‘Don’t poke nose into Manipur conflict’: Chidambaram to Assam CM Sarma
COTU yet to lift blockade
In a related development, two militant outfits of Manipur, under Suspensions of Operation, said on Sunday that they have lifted the two-month-long blockade in Kangpokpi district along the crucial National Highway-2.
Issuing a joint statement, the United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) said the blockade has been lifted with immediate effect following “deep concern to restore peace and harmony” by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
However, Kuki civil society group Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), which had announced a roadblock on NH-2 two months ago, has not officially withdrawn the agitation yet.
Manipur has two national highways — NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam). The NH-2 has been under blockade by Kuki organisations since the violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 and was temporarily opened following Shah’s visit in late May.
Also read: Opposition seeks President’s Rule in Manipur over seized ‘Chinese rifles’
Decision after meet with Sarma
The decision to lift the blockade comes following a recent meeting of the UPF, KNO, and other Kuki groups with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, sources close to the development said.
“The decision was taken after wide-ranging consultations with civil society organisations, village chiefs, and women leaders on several occasions,” the joint statement said.
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic strife between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur so far and around 50,000 have become homeless.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
(With agency inputs)
