Three persons were injured in a gunfight in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Saturday, while two Tangkhul Naga villages were set ablaze amid escalating tensions following a gunfight between armed groups belonging to the Kuki and Naga communities in Chassad, which left a 36-year-old Kuki man dead and four others injured earlier in the day, police said.
According to police, the attack on a Tangkhul Naga village in Kamjong district was suspected to be in retaliation for the killing of a 36-year-old Kuki man and the injuries sustained by four others on Saturday morning. Three Tangkhul Naga individuals sustained gunshot wounds during the subsequent gunfight.
Police identified the injured as T. Chithung of Ningchou, and S. Malung and M. Shithung from Bungpa Khullen. They were taken to Kamjong Hospital, officers said.
“At about 2.30pm on Saturday, the Kuki militants in collusion with their narco-terrorists resorted to unprovoked heavy firing towards the settlement areas of Kamjong headquarters causing deep fear and panic among the civil Tangkhul populace,” a statement issued by Naga Village Guard-Eastern Command (NVG-EC) said.
“To an utter shock of the Kamjong residents, the 11 Assam Rifles (ARs) personnel stationed in Chassad aided the Kuki militants and assisted in the onslaught against the Naga civilians. The ARs advanced with two (2) Casspir vehicles while resorting to heavy firing and launched several stun bombs towards the civilian areas in Kamjong headquarters. The stun bombs landed on the civilian houses and damaged several properties in the surrounding areas of Kamjong town,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the two Tangkhul Naga villages of Skipe and Pilong were set ablaze by suspected Kuki armed militants.
“The two villages are located near the Indo-Myanmar border, but due to lack of manpower police are yet to reach the spot,” a senior police officer said.
Police said no casualties were reported during the arson incident.