Manipur violence: 5 injured in attack by suspected Kuki militants

Suspected Kuki militants equipped with sophisticated weaponry and bombs assaulted two villages in Manipur's Imphal West district, injuring at least 5 people on June 3. 

As per official sources, out of the five injured, there were three people injured in gunshot wounds, which one is said to be serious.

This comes after an alteration between Kukis and Manipur police at Kangchup village in Manipur.

Personnel of the state police and Manipur Rifles stationed at the two villages - Phayeng and Kangchup Chingkhong - retaliated leading to an exchange of fire that lasted for more than four hours on Friday night and later pushed back the militants to nearby hills, the police said. 

The injured have been taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and Raj Medicity in Imphal, where their situations are described as serious. 

Also Read: 3,734 FIRs registered and 65 arrested in connection with recent violence in Manipur

There have been reports of further assaults in the last twenty-four hours from Pombikhok in the Bishnupur district, however, no casualties or injuries have been recorded. 

Seven bodies were found in the Sugnu-Serou region of Kakching district by a joint team of Manipur Police, Border Security Force, and Assam Rifles. 

The remains have been placed at the JNIMS mortuary, according to police, who added that they were murdered during a shootout that erupted last week at Sugnu when armed Kuki insurgents assaulted the town. 

The administration stated in a statement on Friday that ethnic violence in the state erupted a month ago, killing at least 98 people and injuring 310 others. 

According to a statement published by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), 37,450 individuals are being housed in 272 relief camps. Clashes erupted on May 3 during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill areas to oppose the Meitei community's desire for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation. 

Meiteis make up around 53 per cent of Manipur's population and dwell mostly in the Imphal Valley. 

Tribal Nagas and Kukis make up another 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts. To restore calm, over 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles soldiers have been deployed in the state. 

After a brief respite, the state has seen an increase in skirmishes and gunfights between terrorists and security personnel.