Militants torch 2 houses in Manipur village, trade fire with CRPF

NEW DELHI: Suspected militants attacked a hill village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Tuesday night and burnt down at least two houses, while security forces engaged them in an exchange of fireAccording to officials, large number of militants armed with sophisticated weapons attacked Chawangkining Naga village around 10.30pm, hours after two Kuki women were shot dead at Leisangphai village in neighbouring Tamenglong district.CRPF personnel deployed in the nearby area returned fire, triggering intermittent firing that continued for nearly six hours until around 4.30am on Wednesday."Intermittent firing was reported for nearly six hours till 4.30 am on Wednesday. The CRPF returned fire, preventing the militants from entering the village," the official said, adding that two wooden houses at the periphery of the village were, however, burnt down.The attack came hours after two Kuki-Zo women were shot dead at Leisangphai village in Tamenglong district on Tuesday.The deceased were identified as 28-year-old nursing graduate Kimjalhai Singson and 76-year-old Phalneichong Sitlhou, both residents of the same village.

Sitlhou, a widow, was shot while gathering firewood at her farm, while Singson, who had recently completed her nursing course, had returned home to help her parents with farming.

Senior Naga leader and Naga Peoples' Front legislator Awangbou Newmai on Wednesday condemned the killing of the two women and the burning of houses at Chawangkining."These kinds of barbaric and senseless acts will never bring any good things to any community," Newmai said in a statement.A Kuki MLA from Saikul constituency in Kangpokpi district also condemned the killings and said one of the victims had recently graduated in nursing.Alleging the involvement of NSCN-IM and ZUF-K cadres in the killings, she said, "The killing of the innocent women is an act of sheer brutality that cannot be justified by any political cause, ideology or grievance."