Manipur: Gunfight in Kakching district, no injuries so far: Police

Armed men attacked Sugnu village in Manipur's Kakching district on Wednesday morning, triggering a gunfight with village volunteers stationed in the area, officials said.

No injuries have been reported so far, but sporadic firing is continuing, according to police.

"Several armed individuals fired shots towards Sugnu, prompting a response from the village volunteers," police said.

Additional security personnel have been dispatched in the area to prevent the situation from becoming more tense.

Last May, Sugnu witnessed severe violence, with several houses set ablaze and killing of five people, forcing hundreds of villagers to seek refuge in relief camps.

Wednesday’s incident came a day after a 25-year-old village volunteer was killed and two others were injured in a gunfight between two warring communities at Pukhao Shantipur in Imphal East district.

An army officer also suffered gunshot injuries in a separate incident in the district when a team of security personnel was on its way to control a violent situation.

More than 180 people have been killed in Manipur since ethnic violence erupted on May 3 last year after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the state to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. 

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in hilly districts.