Manipur: Indian Army and Assam Rifles Soldiers Rescue Five Meitei Community Youths Kidnapped by Kuki

Digital Desk: Five young people from the Meitei community were released by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles soldiers after they were abducted by Kuki insurgents two days ago, according to the officials. An official in Imphal claimed on Sunday that the Indian Army and Assam Rifles soldiers had freed five young people from the Gwaltabi village, which is a part of the Yaingangpokpi police station in the Imphal East region. 

The Kuki village of Gwaltabi is located in the Senapati district of Manipur's Sardar Hills East subdivision. The village is located in the Senapati district of the northeastern state. The five young people were reportedly kidnapped by Kuki insurgents on Saturday night when they were riding in an autorickshaw.

The Kuki militants said that by releasing five teenagers, they showed a deeper commitment to community harmony and peace in the violent state. 

For over two months, Manipur has experienced increasing violence. Conflicts between the Meitei and Kuki communities, the state's two ethnic groups, led to the outbreak of violence. The Tribal Solidarity March, which was held on May 3 in opposition to the High Court judgement asking that Meiteis be given Scheduled Caste status, was followed by the Manipur conflict.

Also Read : Traffic Rule advisory issued ahead of VP Jagdeep Dhankhar's visit to Assam on July 4

Three persons were shot dead and one was beheaded earlier on Sunday during a dispute between two groups of "village volunteers" in Manipur. In the incident, a firefight lasted all night long for roughly 70 km southwest of Imphal, injuring about five other people. According to reports, the attackers held the five villagers hostage. 

The Bishnupur district administration in Manipur declined the curfew-relaxation period there from 12 hours to a 5 hours window from 5 am to 10 am following the fight on Sunday. The Kumbi assembly seat's Chief Minister Biren Singh visited the location and assured the villagers that the security flaws will be fixed.