Imphal/Guwahati
Nearly four months on and the violence in Manipur shows no sign of ending. At least eight persons have been killed and 18 injured, including two security personnel, in Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts following continuous gunbattle between Kukis and Meiteis since August 29.
Earlier, In the latest instance, two persons succumbed to splinter injuries even as heavy gunbattle between two groups was reported from Khoirentak foothills in Bishnupur district and Chingphei and Khousabung areas in Churachandpur district.
On Tuesday too, two men were killed and six injured in separate incidents of violence near Narainsena village in Bishnupur.
Sources said one of the persons who sustained bomb splinter injuries on his head in Wednesday’s violence died on the way to Guwahati via Mizoram while another injured person, who also sustained splinter injuries, died around 9am on Thursday in Churachandpur district hospital where he was undergoing treatment.
Out of the five persons who sustained splinter injuries at Chingphei area on Wednesday evening, three were taken to Churachandpur district hospital. One was hit by splinters on his head while the others sustained injuries on their shoulders, legs and back.
While one of the victims was killed by a bullet wound, the other died when a countrymade gun he was using misfired and hit him on his face, sources said.
Over 150 people have been killed, several hundreds injured and thousands displaces ever since ethnic violence broke out between the Kukis and Meiteis on May 3 following a “Tribal Solidarity March”. The March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Search operations being conducted by security forces in Kangpokpi, Thoubal, Churachandpur and Imphal-West districts have yielded recoveries of 5 arms, 31 ammunition, 19 explosives, 3 packs of IED material.
A one-day session of The Manipur Assembly was convened on August 29 to discuss the prevailing situation in the State but was adjourned sine die within minutes of its commencement as Opposition MLAs created a ruckus demanding the session to be extended for 5 days for a detailed discussion.
