Imphal: A 53-year-old tribal farmer was shot dead and his wife was attacked by suspected Naga militants in a paddy field in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Saturday afternoon, police and local sources said.
The deceased has been identified as Haolal Singsit of Govajang village. He died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene.
His wife, Nemneikim Singsit, escaped the attack and reached safety.
According to local sources, the couple was working in their jhum (shifting cultivation) field when armed men opened fire.
Residents of Govajang reported hearing around 20 gunshots at about 4 pm. When the couple did not return home by evening, villagers launched a search and found Singsit’s body.
Govajang is the last Kuki village in the Twilang region of Kangpokpi district, about 10 km from the Tujang Vaichong Sub-Divisional Headquarters.
Residents said the attack occurred four days after security forces conducted a combing operation in neighbouring Tamenglong district, during which several weapons were recovered.
They questioned the effectiveness of such operations in preventing attacks by armed groups.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Kangpokpi District Hospital for post-mortem examination.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the attack. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility so far.