Girl shot by suspected armed men in Manipur’s Ukhrul, outrage mounts

In a fresh escalation of violence in Manipur’s hill districts, a minor girl sustained a gunshot injury after alleged indiscriminate firing targeted civilians in Mongkot Chepu village on Monday, March 23 afternoon, sparking widespread outrage and urgent demands for immediate state intervention.

According to a statement issued by the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, the incident occurred around 1:07 pm when villagers, including women, were engaged in routine agricultural activities in the Lengthei Mol farming area—located barely 500 to 600 metres from the main settlement. The situation turned chaotic when suspected Tangkhul armed volunteers allegedly opened fire without warning from an elevated hilltop position across the Thoubal River.

The sudden burst of gunfire reportedly struck a young girl, whose identity has not been disclosed. Her condition remains unclear, intensifying anxiety among residents. Eyewitness accounts suggest that over 20 villagers were left stranded in open fields during the attack, unable to escape as bullets continued to rain down, turning a peaceful farmland into a zone of fear and panic.

The Committee alleged that unarmed civilians were deliberately targeted, exposing them to grave danger. Strongly condemning the incident, it termed the attack “a grave and inhumane act,” warning that such repeated assaults point to a troubling pattern of violence against innocent residents in the region.

Calling for urgent action, the Committee placed a series of demands before the government and security agencies, including the immediate cessation of firing, safe evacuation of stranded villagers, and enhanced security along the Ukhrul highway and surrounding areas. It also urged authorities to launch intensive combing operations to neutralise armed elements and ensure strict accountability for those responsible.

“This is not merely an attack on a village—it is an assault on humanity and civilian dignity,” the statement said, pressing for decisive intervention to prevent further escalation.