Six people have been killed in gunfights between Meitei and Kuki groups since Tuesday in strife-torn Manipur, taking the death toll in a fresh round of violence since August 29 to eight, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Four of the deaths since Wednesday were reported from the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district, while two others were killed in the neighbouring Bishnupur district, where Meiteis are in the majority.
“Two persons sustained splinter injuries in a gunfight on Wednesday. One of them died on Wednesday night while he was being taken to Aizawl in Mizoram for treatment while another died on Thursday morning,” Churachandpur superintendent of police (SP) Karthik Malladi said.
Two more deaths were reported from Churachandpur on Thursday. The deceased have been identified as LS Mangboi Lhungdim (42), and Hemkholun Guite (36). While Lhunglim was a prominent lyricist, Guite was a village defence volunteer.
The two who were killed on Thursday have been identified as Paokam Kipgem and Pau Sonlem. All the four deceased in Churanchadpur are Kukis.
“We have reports of two deaths in gunfights in our district on Thursday. One person had died on Tuesday in Bishnupur. With the fresh deaths, the total number of those killed since Tuesday has gone up to three in our district,” said Lourenbam Bikram, deputy commissioner of Bishnupur.
{{/usCountry}}“We have reports of two deaths in gunfights in our district on Thursday. One person had died on Tuesday in Bishnupur. With the fresh deaths, the total number of those killed since Tuesday has gone up to three in our district,” said Lourenbam Bikram, deputy commissioner of Bishnupur.
{{/usCountry}}Since Tuesday morning, there have been fresh gunfights in both districts, especially in the border areas. On Tuesday, two people had died and seven sustained injuries. Police informed that there was a lull in shooting for a few hours on Wednesday evening, but it resumed later in the night.
“Despite the deployment of state police and central security personnel, intermittent gunfights have been taking place in several border areas. Efforts are underway to control the situation,” Malladi said.
Following the deaths of tribal members, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an umbrella body of Kuki groups in Churachandpur district, has imposed an emergency shutdown in the district in view of the fresh violence.
“Lonphai, Khousabung, Kangvai and Sugnu areas are under attack. ITLF calls for an emergency shutdown with immediate effect in Lamka (Churachandpur) district. Emergency services like medical, police, water, electricity, and press are exempted,” read a statement issued by ITLF on Thursday.
In its release, the tribal body alleged that the Lonphai, Khousabung, Kangvai and Sugnu areas are under attack from Meitei militants.
Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes between Meitei, which are dominant in Imphal Valley, and tribal Kuki communities, which are in majority in neighbouring hill districts, since May 3. The clashes have claimed 163 people till date and displaced around 50,000.
The central forces are posted in the buffer zones or areas adjoining the foothills to ensure that armed people from both the Kukis and Meitei sides do not cross them to launch attacks.