Four Kuki Civilians Killed, Infant Injured in Suspected Militant Attacks on Two Manipur Villages
New Delhi: At least four Kuki people, two of whom were women, were killed in two attacks by suspected militants in Manipur’s Tamenglong and Noney districts on September 13.
The incident at Tamenglong occurred at about 4 am.
A woman, identified as Lhingngai Singsit, was killed by suspected militants, and her husband Seineih Singsit and infant son were injured in their residence, PTI reported, quoting police. The family lived in the Tollen Kuki village, located near NH-37, which connects Imphal with Jiribam.
Seineih succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital at Silchar in neighbouring Assam.
Scroll has reported that their six-year-old son was being treated for bullet injuries.
The report also said that L Tollen Village Authority had alleged that the attack there had been carried out by Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) and armed Naga group Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson).
In the second incident, a woman, Julie Gangte, and a man, R. Gangte, were shot dead by armed militants at Longpi village at around 3:30 pm. The village authorities in Longpi also blamed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah).
Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh expressed sorrow over the killings, and said that violence against innocent civilians is a cowardly act and unacceptable.
BJP leader and former chief minister N Biren Singh said a social media post that the incident at Tollen Kuki village is “deeply disturbing and heartbreaking”.
“The safety and security of innocent civilians must remain our foremost concern. Such violence only adds to the suffering of ordinary people and further undermines the fragile path towards peace,” he said.
Naga Peoples’ Front legislator Awangbou Newmai has condemned the killing as well.
“Targeting unarmed men, women and children is a cowardly act that has no place in civilised society," Newmai wrote.
The conflict in Manipur which began in May 2023 between the Meitei and the Kuki communities has claimed at least 306 lives. Thousands are homeless in what is now an ethnically divided state.
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