Manipur violence: Armed miscreants open fire in Kangpokpi district

• Image Credit: Google

• Oct 12, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Manipur has once again witnessed a resurgence of violence as armed groups unleashed sporadic gunfire upon the residents of...

Digital Desk: In a troubling development, Manipur has once again witnessed a resurgence of violence as armed groups unleashed sporadic gunfire upon the residents of Phaimpl and Twichin, two neighboring villages in the Kangpokpi district. The incident occurred at around 8:30 on October 12, shaking the peace in the region.

Sources report that the village volunteers, in an attempt to prevent escalation, chose not to respond to the armed miscreants' provocations. However, this restraint did not deter the armed group, which continued to advance towards the villages with hostile intent at around 8:30 AM.

Fortunately, the security forces stationed in the buffer zone swiftly intervened and successfully deterred the armed groups from advancing any further. The armed groups had apparently fired upon the villages to provoke the Kuki-Zo village volunteers, but when met with no retaliatory fire, they ventured closer to the villages in an effort to incite the volunteers.

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Alarming reports suggest that the ITLF media cell had orchestrated a fabricated news report, falsely blaming the Kuki-Zo volunteers for an alleged attack on a Meitei village. This misinformation quickly spread, drawing more armed miscreants with sophisticated weapons who headed towards Yaingangpokpi.

To facilitate the safe passage of reinforcements, women's groups reportedly obstructed the security forces at Sabungkhok until all the miscreants, arriving in approximately 30–40 vehicles from Imphal, had passed through. Subsequently, the miscreants regrouped and made another attempt to attack the villagers of Phaimpl and Twichin.

As of the latest update, at around 2:45 PM, a second round of attacks commenced, and fortunately, there have been no reported casualties. The situation remains tense, and the security forces continue their efforts to maintain peace in the region while recovering looted weapons.