Imphal: An elderly Kuki-Zo woman was killed in crossfire between security forces and armed men in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Thursday, police said. The incident occurred during a search operation launched by security forces after a Meitei farmer received gunshot wounds while working in the fields in the valley district of Bishnupur.
Security personnel moved into Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and adjoining areas in search of the attackers. During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed men and retaliated accordingly. Amidst the exchange of fire, the woman, identified as Hoikholhing, wife of Langchingmanbi village chief, was found dead with a bullet injury.
Her body was taken to the Churachandpur District Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police said a case has been registered, and investigations are ongoing. Combined security forces are continuing search operations in the region, and every effort is being made to bring the culprits to justice at the earliest.
The incident has been condemned by the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), which termed the incident “brutal” and “a grim reminder of the ongoing ethnic cleansing and targeted violence” against the community. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has declared an indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur in protest against the killing of the woman.
Earlier in the day, a farmer was shot at while working in the fields in the same area after armed men allegedly opened fire from the surrounding hills. Ningthoujam Biren, who was admitted to a hospital with gunshot wounds, said, “I was working in the fields when five rounds were fired.” The incident has sparked tensions in the region, with locals calling a shutdown in Phubala and blocking the movement of security forces in some areas.
Over 250 people have been killed after ethnic clashes broke out between the Meiteis, who live in the valley, and Kukis, who dominate the surrounding hills, in May 2023. The region has been experiencing ongoing violence and tensions, and authorities are working to restore peace and order.
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