Two injured in gunfight between security forces, militants in Manipur

Sporadic gunfights have been reported since Christmas Eve in Manipur, which has been in the throes of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3 last year.

Imphal: At least two people, including a police commando, suffered bullet injuries on Friday in a gunfight with armed militants in Imphal East district as tension escalated in the ethnic strife-torn Manipur, police said.

Sporadic gunfights have been reported since Christmas Eve in Manipur, which has been in the throes of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3 last year. (PTI)

At around 9.30am, armed miscreants from the hills launched attacks in Sanasabi, Santikhongbal, Sabungkhok and Yaingangpokpi villages in the Meitei-dominated district, to which security personnel from both state and central forces retaliated, police said.

“Armed with sophisticated weapons and bombs, the militants attacked from the hill ranges of Thamnapokpi, sparking a fierce exchange of fire that lasted nearly six hours with intermittent breaks. Security forces responded swiftly, engaging the militants in a prolonged battle,” a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity.

Panic gripped the area which turned into a conflict zone as the gunfight broke out. Around 20-30 families who were stranded and caught in the crossfire during the fierce encounter were rescued by Manipur Police personnel in bulletproof vehicles and evacuated to the Yaingangpokpi market shed, the officer said.

Two people suffered injuries in the gunfight in Sanasabi village, including 37-year-old K Haridash, who suffered bullet injuries on his left shoulder and was rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, where he underwent a minor surgery, the officer said.

A village volunteer also suffered minor injuries on his hands during the gun battle was also taken to a local primary health centre, where he was administered first aid, police said, adding that the village volunteers had joined the security forces in the gun battle against the armed militants from the hills.

Sporadic gunfights have been reported since Christmas Eve in Manipur, which has been in the throes of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3 last year. At least 260 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in the violence so far.