Violence has been escalating in Manipur
A 36-year old man was killed and four others injured after suspected militants attacked Chassad village in Manipur's Kamjong district on Saturday, triggering an exchange of fire between the assailants and a local armed group, police said.Several rounds were fired at the Kuki village around 2.30 pm, and the gunfight was continuing in the evening, a senior police officer said, according to PTI."Village head Thangjahou Haokip (48), and four others - Khailun Haokip, Seikhohou, Hegin Haokip and Seipao Haokip - were injured after the suspected militants attacked the village. All the injured were taken to a hospital where Seikhohou succumbed to his injuries," the officer said."The gunfight is still underway in the evening," the officer added.The Committee on Tribal Unity condemned the attack and urged the state government to deploy central forces in the area.The latest violence comes amid broader reported cases of violence. The escalating clashes between Kuki-Zo and Naga communities, which have claimed more than 50 lives since February, with homes and shops torched and civilians caught in attacks across several districts.
Last week, nine people, including six Nagas, two Kukis and a Gorkha farmer, were killed in a series of attacks across three districts in a 12-hour period. The violence included an attack on Chassad village and gunfights in Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts. Houses and shops were also set on fire, prompting prohibitory orders in Kamjong and a shutdown call on National Highway 202.The situation remained tense on Thursday, when a Kuki-Zo woman, Hatneikim Haokip, was killed and her husband injured in an alleged ambush by suspected Naga militants on the road between Phaikoh and Aishu in Kamjong district. Two other people travelling with them were reported missing. The woman was reportedly travelling with the group to buy essential commodities.The violence has also affected Kamjong, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Noney and other districts, raising concerns over security in the state and along the India-Myanmar border.