Guwahati: A Nepalese couple sustained bullet injuries when unidentified assailants opened fire on National Highway 202 in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Sunday, as violence continued following the killing of a Kuki civilian and the burning of at least 15 houses in Chassad village a day earlier, officials said.

The victims were identified as Sandip Dahal, 35, and his wife, Bepanah Dahal, 29, who live in Charhajare, Kangpokpi district.

According to police, the couple was travelling in a Maruti Suzuki Baleno when armed attackers fired at them at about 11.45 am.

The shooting took place on the Imphal-Nagaland road through Ukhrul, in the stretch between Mahadev and Guwaltabi villages.

After the shooting, the couple was taken to an Army hospital nearby for initial medical care. The bullets caused minor injuries below both victims’ knees, and they were allowed to leave after treatment, officials said.

The latest incident came after violence struck Chassad on Saturday afternoon, when suspected militants killed Seikhohao Haokip, a Kuki civilian, and wounded four other people, among them village leaders.

Further violence was reported later that night, when suspected militants allegedly torched 15 or more homes belonging to the Kuki community in the village. Residents fled the area, seeking safety in surrounding forest areas and at an Army camp, according to officials.

To respond to the situation, police said personnel from the Assam Rifles, Border Security Force and Kamjong Police had been brought together in a joint deployment in the affected area.

Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen denounced the attacks, expressing sorrow over Haokip’s killing and concern for the injured village leaders and people who had been displaced.

Kipgen called the destruction of homes unacceptable and said she had instructed the district administration, state police and security forces to maintain continuous vigilance, ensure the safety of residents and their belongings, and pursue those responsible for the violence.

Amid the unrest, the state government also announced a change in Kamjong’s police leadership on Sunday. Superintendent of Police Tholu Rocky was transferred to the Manipur Police Training Centre, where he is to take up the post of assistant director.

Jay Barange, an IPS officer who was serving as Additional Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) in Imphal West, was named the new Kamjong SP with immediate effect, the government order said.