IT News
Imphal, Nov 11:
A farmer and a village defence volunteer were injured Monday morning when gunmen launched an attack from nearby hilltop positions. The incident marks the third consecutive day of such attacks in Manipur, intensifying fears among local farmers and killing one woman on Saturday morning.
The farmer, identified as Kangchop Horam (34), was working in a paddy field in Yaingangpokpi Shantikhongban, Imphal East district, when he was hit by pellets from gunfire originating from the hills of Ukhrul district. Horam sustained injuries to his hand, while other farmers in the field managed to escape unharmed. He was immediately transported to Yaingangpokpi Primary Health Centre and is reported to be in stable condition.
Security forces responded swiftly, engaging the attackers in a brief gunfight before the area was secured. The recent surge in attacks, reportedly by hill-based militants, has raised alarm among farmers in the Imphal Valley, deterring them from working in their fields and impacting the ongoing paddy harvest.
In a separate incident, suspected militants fired on Saiton Litan village, injuring a Meitei village defense volunteer. Security forces have since been deployed to the area to prevent further violence.
This recent escalation follows a tragic incident on Saturday, where a 34-year-old woman farmer was shot and killed while working in a field in Saiton, Bishnupur district, as attackers fired from hilltops in Churachandpur district. On Sunday, similar attacks were reported in Sanasabi, Sabungkhok Khunou, and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East district.
The state has been plagued by ethnic violence between Meitei communities in the Imphal Valley and Kuki groups in the surrounding hills since May of last year, resulting in over 200 deaths and displacing thousands.
