Kanggui: Gunfire was again reported along the IT Road stretch in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday morning, a day after an attack in N Teikhang village left three civilians dead.
As per statements from local village bodies, firing started at around 4.40 am and continued till 8.45 am in the Chaljang-Lhouthang-Twilang belt. The area falls under the Twilang region which has seen repeated tension in recent days.
The Chaljang Village Authority in its statement alleged that at about 8.05 am, the village was targeted with explosive rounds. It said residents, including women and elderly, ran for safety. The authority blamed cadres of NSCN-IM and ZUF(K) along with Liangmei village guards for the alleged attack.
A similar allegation was made by the Twilang Area CSO Coordinating Committee. The committee claimed that the firing came from the direction of Tapon, Theparam and Makui and was aimed at civilian settlements.
According to the committee, three mortar rounds were allegedly fired towards Chaljang. Two exploded while one did not detonate. One person identified as Lamkhojang, 25, from Lhouthang was injured in the firing, the committee said.
The committee also raised questions on the deployment at Makui. It alleged that an ambulance carrying dead and injured from the previous day was stopped at Lasan, and cited alleged firing incidents at Langka and Chaljang close to the CRPF camp.
In response to the alleged firing, the Village Volunteers, Twilang Lhang, said they were forced to act to protect civilian settlements. In a statement, the group, referred to locally as KVV, said firing started at around 4.50 am from Tapon and Chawangkining side, creating fear among villagers.
The KVV said its volunteers responded only to defend villages and ensure safety of residents. It said the firing on Tuesday came just a day after the deadly attack on N Teikhang on August 31 where two women and one man were killed and three others were injured.
The KVV further said repeated attacks on villages along IT Road have put civilian lives at risk and warned that any further provocation or targeting of villages would have serious consequences. At the same time, it appealed to authorities to take immediate steps to restore peace and protect civilians.
The coordinating committee urged all sides to show restraint and said peaceful appeals should not be seen as weakness. It demanded an impartial probe into both August 31 and September 1 incidents.
Official response from security forces and district administration regarding Tuesday morning incidents is awaited.
