In the ongoing ethnic clash in strife-torn Manipur, two more people were killed and five others, including two police personnel, were critically wounded in the ongoing firing between two communities at the border of the state’s Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts on Thursday.
Saying that firing broke out between the two communities on Wednesday, security sources said at least five people had sustained injuries, out of which three had been taken to Churachandpur district hospital. While one was hit by splinters on his head, the others sustained injuries on their shoulders, legs and back, officials said.
The security sources said intermittent firing continued even on Thursday, in which one person from Bishnupur and four people from Churachandpur and two IRB personnel had sustained injuries.
On Thursday morning, two of the injured people from the Kuki-Zomi community succumbed to their injuries. One of them has been identified as songwriter L.S. Mangboi, who was widely popular locally, especially for a song -- I gam hilo ham, which translates as “Isn’t this our land?” – which he had written during the ongoing conflict.
According to police, a critical Mangboi was being transported to Aizawl for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries en route on Thursday morning. After his death at Songtal, around 100 km from Churachandpur, he was brought back to the town.
The other deceased, Richard Hemkholin Guite, who the locals say was a village defence volunteer, succumbed to his injuries in the Churachandpur district.
While one of the victims was killed by a bullet wound, the other died when a countrymade gun he was using misfired and hit him on his face, the sources said.
It is significant that in the fresh spell of violence that started on August 29, four people have been killed. On August 29, two people -- Jangminlun Gangte and Laibungjam Inao -- had died in Churachandpur and Bishnupur respectively.
Meanwhile, search operations were done by the security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of Kangpokpi, Thoubal, Churachandpur and Imphal West districts, in which five arms, 31 pieces of ammunition, 19 explosives and three packs of IED material were recovered.
The police has also set up 130 nakas in different districts and detained 1,646 persons in connection with various violations.
