Guwahati: An elderly Kuki-Zo woman was tragically killed in a crossfire between security forces and armed men in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Thursday.
The fatal incident occurred just hours after a Meitei farmer sustained gunshot wounds in Bishnupur district, fueling renewed ethnic tensions in Manipur.
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According to police, they found Hoikholhing, wife of the Langchingmanbi village chief, dead with a bullet injury amidst an exchange of fire. They have moved her body to the Churachandpur District Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Around 3 p.m., unknown armed miscreants shot Ningthoujam Biren, a Meitei farmer, in his paddy field in Bishnupur district’s Phubala area, starting the chain of events.
Officials stated that armed men allegedly fired shots from the surrounding hills. A hospital admitted Biren with gunshot wounds, and he recounted, “I was working in the fields when five rounds were fired.”
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In response to the farmer’s shooting, security forces launched a search operation in Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and adjoining areas to apprehend the attackers.
Police confirmed that unknown armed men fired upon security forces, and the forces retaliated accordingly, leading to the crossfire where Hoikholhing was killed.
Following the incident, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) declared an indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur to mourn and protest Hoikholhing’s death.
Police added that the authorities have registered a case, and combined security forces are continuing search operations to bring the culprits to justice, urging the public to maintain peace and avoid circulating unverified information.