4 killed, 6-year-old injured after fresh violence breaks out in Manipur's Tamenglong

Four people, including a couple, were killed and a six-year-old sustained a bullet injury in two separate attacks carried out by armed miscreants in Manipur’s Tamenglong district on Sunday, officials confirmed.

According to the police, the first incident occurred at around 5.30 am at Tollen village, where a 46-year-old woman, Lhingzangai Singsit, was shot dead on the spot while her husband Seineh Singsit succumbed to bullet injuries. The second attack, in which a man and a woman were killed, took place in Longpi village in the district around 10 hours later.

Chief minister Y Khemchand Singh expressed deep anguish over the killings. “Such cowardly acts of violence against innocent civilians are unacceptable and have no place in our society,” a statement issued by the CM’s office said, extending condolences to the grieving families.

Police said a probe is underway to identify the culprits involved during the attack and no groups have claimed responsibility so far.

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“Attempt to create disharmony”

The injured in Tollen village were taken to Silchar Medical College, Assam, however, the husband succumbed on the way to hospital, officials said, adding that the minor is undergoing treatment at the same hospital and is stable.

Kaimai village authority condemned the attack, describing it as a “deliberate and malicious attempt to create disharmony, suspicion and division between different communities.”

The village authority demanded to conduct a thorough and impartial probe to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Attack at Longpi village in Tamenglong

A second attack was carried out at Longpi village in Tamenglong at around 3 pm. A woman and a man were shot dead in the attack, police said. “Longpi is located around 30 km west from the police station. Due to non-motorable road condition no police personnel have been able to reach the spot. But we will conduct a spot enquiry on Monday morning,” Nungba police said.

Western Village Volunteer (WVV), a Kuki group, claimed the deceased were identified as Jilie Singson and Reol Gangte of Longpi village. The group alleged that the attack was carried out by factions belonging to NSCN-IM and ZUF-K (National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Issac Muivah and Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson) cadres. “Following the killings, the attackers allegedly advanced towards the village centre but were confronted and driven back after a gunfire with the Western Village Volunteers,” WVV claimed in a statement.

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The incident coincided with the “Black Day”, observed annually on September 13 by Kukis to remember the victims of ethnic violence during the Kuki–Naga conflict in the state in the 1990s.