In fresh round of violence, armed miscreants killed Five civilians

Imphal: Five Innocent civilians, including a father-son duo, were killed and seven others injured in separate incidents following fresh violence in Manipur since Wednesday (January 17) night.
Heisnam Tarjit, organizing secretary of Chingtam Liching Lup, a social organization in the area, said armed miscreants entered Ningthoukhong Kha-Khunou village in Bishnupur district and shot three people at around 4.30pm on Thursday (Jan 18).
As a result of the unprecedented attack, all three people died. He added that Thiyam Somen (54), Oinam Bamoijao (61) and his son Oinam Manitomba (35) were at the scene.
Bishnupur police recovered the bodies and sent them to the district hospital before bringing them to the RIMS hospital mortuary in Imphal for post-mortem.
On the other hand, suspected militants attacked a village in Kangchup area of ​​Imphal West district, bordering Kangpokpi district, on Wednesday night.
In the attack, a Village Defense Volunteer (VDV), Takhellambam Manoranjan (26), was killed and another volunteer, Mangshatabam Wanglen, sustained bullet injuries.

Takhellambam Chittaranjan, cousin brother of deceased Manoranjan of Thiyam Konjin in Imphal East district said that about an hour ahead of the incident he called up his wife and told her that he was at the Kangchup foothills to defend the village from militants’ constant attacks.

In another incident, three BSF personnel were injured after a fierce mob attacked Thoubal district police in the night. The mob demanded the government send state police reinforcement at Moreh town to counter militants’ continual attacks on state security forces there.

To destabilise the tense situation, the Thoubal District Magistrate (DM) clamped an indefinite curfew in the whole district.

Police said that the mob targeted the 3rd IRB headquarters at Khangabok and security forces repelled them using minimum necessary force. The mob also attempted to breach the Thoubal police headquarters, prompting the security forces to use legal force. Armed miscreants from among the mob fired live rounds, as a result of which, three BSF personnel sustained bullet injuries.

Assistant Sub-Inspectors (SIs) Sobram Singh and Ramji and Constable Gourav Kumar, who sustained injuries in the attack are undergoing treatment at the Raj Medicity Hospital in Imphal.

In yet another incident, the state police also came under attack at Moreh on Wednesday night, leaving three commandos, riflemen K Premananda (1st IRB), Md Abdul Hasim and Songsuathui Aimol of 3rd IRB, injured.

A large number of womenfolk held protest rallies in the valley districts, seeking the Centre to hand over the charge of Unified Command chairman to Chief Minister N Biren Singh.