Senapati: Two civilians were killed and two others injured in a fresh incident of firing at Kalenjang village in Manipur’s Senapati district on Saturday afternoon.
According to police, armed assailants opened fire inside the house of the village chief of Kalenjang. The victims who died have been identified as Rocky and Kumar, residents of two different villages in Senapati district. The identities and condition of the two injured persons were not immediately available. The injured have been shifted to a hospital in Senapati for treatment.
Police teams rushed to the area shortly after the incident to assess the situation. Police said the exact motive behind the attack and the identity of the attackers are yet to be ascertained and investigation is underway.
Local sources alleged that members of the Kuki community were behind the attack. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding the allegation and no group has claimed responsibility. The allegation could not be independently verified.
The incident took place two days after four civilians were killed in an armed attack in Kamjong district near the India-Myanmar border. The back-to-back incidents have heightened concerns over the security situation in Naga-inhabited areas.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned the Kalenjang firing and termed it a cowardly act of violence against innocent lives. In a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office on X, the Chief Minister conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The Chief Minister was in the Mao area, nearly 30 km from the incident site, on Saturday to attend the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Don Bosco College (Autonomous), Maram, when the incident occurred.
The firing occurred on the same day the United Naga Council (UNC) agreed to temporarily suspend its economic blockade following tripartite talks with the Centre and the state government in Assam. The UNC had launched the blockade pressing for several demands, including revocation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed groups, removal of MLA Nemcha Kipgen, and justice for six Naga men abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13 and later found dead in June.
The UNC has also demanded action against those allegedly involved in the abduction and killing and has sought that KNF-P be designated as a terrorist organisation. Naga civil society organisations have expressed concern over the security of Naga civilians following the two incidents within three days.
Police said security has been tightened in Kalenjang and adjoining areas. According to local sources, two houses in the village were allegedly set ablaze by miscreants in July.
