Imphal/Guwahati
At least four villagers, including a father and son, were brutally gunned down from point blank range by suspected militants who swooped down on the Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou village in Bishnupur district on Thursday evening.
The deceased persons have been identified as Oinam Bamonjao (61), his 32-year-old son, Oinam Manitomba, Thiyam Somen (54) and Ningthoujam Nabadip Meetei (40).
Officials said the incident occurred at around 4:30 pm on Thursday when suspected Kuki militants open fired at the villagers near Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou water reservoir.
According to locals, quoted by some media reports, around 6 heavily armed persons came downhill when the deceased villagers were tilling their farmland and remorselessly killed them.
Security forces have intensified search operations in the area to trace those involved even as locals protested and refused to receive the bodies till the culprits are caught.
Over eight months now, peace has remained elusive in the ethnic strife-torn north-eastern State despite heavy deployment of security forces.
In fresh violence since the last 3 days, two commandos and a woman besides a village volunteer have been killed in two separate incidents while 3 BSF personnel were injured in militant and mob attacks. Over 200 people have been killed ever since the ethnic clashes between the Kukis and Meiteis erupted on May 3 last year.
