Kuki militants attack multiple locations, two killed in retaliation

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 14: Several Meitei villages located in the periphery of Imphal East and Imphal West districts came under heavy attack from Kuki militants during the last 48 hours, and two of them were slain in retaliatory fire.
To protest the killing of the two persons Kangpokpi district witnessed a 24 hour shutdown in the last 24 hours.
The shutdown called  by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills Kangpokpi was against the firing incident which took place at Gamgiphai, Kangpokpi.
A large number Kuki militants holding sophisticated weapons came down from Moirangpurel Kamu Lokchao hill range and attacked Moirangpurel and Tumukhong Meitei villages located in the periphery of Imphal East and Kangpokpi district with bombs and bullets at around 8.30 am on Saturday.  
In defence, Meitei village volunteers who were present in the area retaliated and engaged the Kuki militants who were advancing toward the Meitei villages by firing indiscriminately.
Later the Kuki militants were forced to flee back toward the nearby hills as Meitei village volunteers stood their ground.
Soon after the gunfight ceased, a team of Imphal East commandos rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.
However, when the commando team moved toward the nearby hill range, they came under heavy attack from Kuki militants who laid an ambush in the hill range.
Windshield, tyres and other parts of the police bullet-proof vehicles were damaged in the attack.
The heavy gunfight between Kuki militants and the village volunteers continued till 2.30 pm yesterday before the Kuki militants were forced to flee from the hill range.
A team of village volunteers who were chasing the Kuki militants found dead bodies of two Kuki militants with bullet injuries in the higher altitude of the hill range.
The two slain Kuki militants, according to different posts circulated in social media platforms, are Kamlengsat Lunkim (25) s/o Thangkhomang Lunkim of Bongjang village, Island Block, Sadar Hills and Kamminlal Lupheng (23) s/o Paokholet Lupheng of Nongda Kuki village, Kasom Khullen
Sources said that there might have been more casualties on the side of the Kuki militants during the gunfight that took place at Moirangpurel Kamu Lokchao hill range.
On the other hand, Kuki militants launched fierce attacks at three different locations in the peripheral area of Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts at around 8 pm on Saturday.
Using bombs and bullets, the Kuki militants attacked Koutruk, Senjam Chirang and Kadangband areas simultaneously from the nearby hill range located on the western side of these villages.
There is no report of any injuries on the side of the Meitei village volunteers.
Village volunteers who were guarding the villages fired back and stopped the Kuki militants from advancing toward the Meitei villages.
State security personnel who are deployed in the area due to the ongoing crisis also fired some rounds of bullets toward the Kuki militants who were attacking the Meitei villages.
Further a reinforcement team of Imphal West district commando also rushed to the site to look after the situation and assist other security personnel deployed in the area.
The gunfight in the said area lasted the whole night with a gap of some minutes till 3 am today.
The Kuki militants resumed their attack with bombs and bullets at around 5 am.
Although there is no report of any injuries on the side of Meitei village volunteers and civilians till the time of filing this report, the situation is still very tense in the area, said the sources.
Village volunteers and security personnel deployed in the area have been keeping a strict vigil in the area to defend the villages from further attacks by Kuki militants.
On the other hand, two days after the attack on a Meitei village of Heirok from a nearby hill range in which three village volunteers were injured, Kuki militants again attacked Meitei villages of Heirok at around 2 pm today.
A large number of Kuki militants holding sophisticated weapons from Penjang and Genjang villages came down from the hill range and were advancing toward Heirok.
As the Kuki militants attacked the volunteers guarding the villages, the latter retaliated and stopped the Kuki militants from advancing further.
The gunfight lasted for some minutes before the Kuki militants fled from the spot toward the hill.
Meanwhile, village volunteer Ningthoujam James (21) from Heirok Part II who sustained bullet injury on his left abdomen during the gun battle at Heirok on April 12 has been shifted to Raj Medicity’s general ward from ICU as his condition has improved.