Army operation continues as militant held in connection with 3 deaths in fresh Manipur violence

Several reports indicated that at least five suspected militants were killed in the retaliatory fire by state forces and armed village volunteers, but official confirmation is still pending.

Imphal: In fresh violence in restive Manipur, three people, including an elderly man and his son, were killed in Bishnupur district early on Saturday, police said.

A police official said that suspected militants raided Kwakta Lamkhai village and started indiscriminate firing, killing three people on the spot. A few people were also injured in the attack.

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Unconfirmed reports said that the militants also kidnapped two villagers.

The remaining occupants of the village fled as a result of the attack.

Police with additional reinforcement have rushed to the areas and recovered the bodies. The deceased were identified as Yumnam Pishak Meitei, 67, and his son Yumnam Premkumar Meitei, 39, and neighbour Yumnam Jiten Meitei, 46.

Some reports said that at least five suspected militants were killed in the retaliatory fire by state forces and armed village volunteers but there was no official confirmation.

In retaliation to the Kwakta Lamkhai, a mob destroyed and burnt down several houses belonging to the tribals in nearby Ukha Tampak village in the same Bishnupur district.

In another incident, three persons, including a policeman, were injured after an exchange of fire between the state security forces and the militants near Kwakta Lamkhai on Saturday morning, police said adding that the policeman sustained splinter injuries on his face. All the three shifted to the hospital.

Defence sources said that multiple operations were launched in the aftermath of Kwakta Lamkhai incident.

During one such search operation, armed insurgents fired on the Army column at Mongcham on Saturday evening. Army troops retaliated in a calibrated manner and in the ensuing firefight, one armed insurgent of KIA sustained a gunshot wound and he was apprehended while others managed to escape.

A Self Loading Rifle, some ammunition and war like stores recovered from the spot. Operation is in progress, the defence source said.

Meanwhile, Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh on Saturday claimed that there were huge security lapses in the militant attack at the Kwakta Lamkhai incident. The BJP MLA, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, said that despite the presence of a massive number of paramilitary personnel, the militants from other districts came to the village and brutally killed the three people.

“The so-called paramilitary forces on duty in the village need to be suspended. We have been writing letters and memorandum regularly to the Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) that certain security forces are creating uneasiness between the people and the state.

“Few units of the security forces are creating problems. If the proper action is not taken immediately, peace and normalcy would not be restored in the state,” the MLA said in a video message.

“There are people behind the militants to create trouble. Who is supplying arms and ammunition to them (militants). Central government must answer these questions. There is violence going on for more than three months.

“Central government must take certain stringent measures to stop violence, otherwise the situation would go out of control. Manipur needs peace and normalcy,” the legislator said.