HT Digital
IMPHAL, JUNE 20: An elderly Kuki-Zo woman was tragically killed during a crossfire between security forces and unidentified armed men in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Thursday. The incident occurred amidst rising tensions, just hours after a Meitei farmer was shot in Bishnupur district, reigniting fears of ethnic conflict in the state.
Police identified the deceased as Hoikholhing, the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi. Her body, found with a bullet injury during an exchange of gunfire, was later transported to Churachandpur District Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
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The chain of events began around 3 p.m. when Ningthoujam Biren, a Meitei farmer, was shot in the Phubala area of Bishnupur while working in his paddy field. Biren, who sustained gunshot injuries, was rushed to a hospital. He later recalled, “I was working in the fields when five rounds were fired.” Officials reported that the shots were allegedly fired by armed miscreants from nearby hill areas.
In response to the farmer’s shooting, security forces launched a combing operation across Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and surrounding regions. During the operation, they came under attack from unidentified armed men. The forces returned fire, and it was during this encounter that Hoikholhing was fatally struck.
The death of the elderly woman sparked outrage in Churachandpur. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) responded by declaring an indefinite shutdown in the district, both to mourn the loss and protest what they deemed excessive action by security forces.
Police have confirmed that a case has been registered and that joint security forces continue their operations in the area to apprehend the culprits.
