15 People Injured In Suspected Attack By Kuki Militants In Manipur's Imphal West

Fifteen people got injured in a fresh attack at two Imphal villages which is believed to be carried out by the Kuki militants.

A view of a damaged house at violence-hit area of Sugnu, in Kakching district

Source : PTI

At least 15 people got injured during an attack carried out by suspected Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons and bombs on two villages in Manipur's Imphal West district. As the firing began, personnel of the state police and Manipur Rifles stationed at the two villages, Phayeng and Kangchup Chingkhong, retaliated which led to an exchange of fire on Friday night that lasted for more than four hours. The personnel successfully pushed back the militants to nearby hills, news agency PTI cited the police as saying.

The people who got injured have been admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and Raj Medicity in Imphal. A police official while talking to PTI said that the condition of two of the injured is critical. 

Apart from the two villages, reports of violence in the last twenty-four hours were also reported from Bishnupur district's Pombikhok region. No casualty or injury has been reported there so far.

From Kakching's Segnu-Serou area, a joint team of Manipur Police, Border Security Force and Assam Rifles recovered seven bodies which were deposited at the morgue of JNIMS. The seven people died during a gunfight that broke out last week at Sugnu when it was attacked by Kuki militants.

In the ethnic violence that broke out in the state a month ago, at least 98 people have lost their lives and 310 others were injured, as per a statement from the government which was released on Friday. Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that a total of 37,450 people are currently sheltered in 272 relief camps. The clashes began on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts in order to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Around 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles personnel have been deployed in Manipur to restore peace in the state.