Army opened fire on youths after ‘shoot at sight’ orders; One killed

Bishnupur: Amid the ongoing tension in the hill state of Manipur, the army on May 5 opened fire on youths to maintain law and order situation.

According to ground reports, people of eight districts of Manipur, including Bishnupur district, are emotionally disturbed over the ST dispute.
Meanwhile, at around 11 pm, a group of youths came out of their residence as a protest, however, they were fired upon by the army to restore peace in the area.

Later, a youth reportedly succumbed to his injuries, the first death since the government announced ‘shoot on sight’ orders.
The deceased has been identified as Biyashning Thoujam, aged 23 years, hailing from Nambol in Bishnupur district of Manipur.

Further on the ground, the report also claimed that several blockades have been put up by miscreants in all the major violence-hit districts.
On May 5, a CRPF Cobra commando on leave was shot dead by armed assailants in his village in Manipur’s Churachandpur district.

He added that Constable Chonkholen Haokip of Delta Company of 204th Cobra Battalion was killed at 2-3 pm.
The circumstances surrounding his death are unknown, but it is believed that intruders dressed as police attacked his village and killed him, according to senior officials.
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a guerilla warfare commando force of the Central Reserve Police Force that accepts only the toughest and most physically fit soldiers. Apart from the troops assigned to counter-insurgency operations in the northeastern part of the country, the majority of its ten battalions are deployed for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.