Manipur: Three Kukis killed in fresh violence in Ukhrul district

Three persons belonging to the Kuki community were killed during fresh violence that broke out in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday morning.

Ukhrul Superintendent of Police Ningshem Vashum told Scroll that the incident occurred at the Thawai Kuki village around 4.30 am.

“It was an unprovoked and intentional attack…three people have been shot dead,” Vashum said. “We suspect that armed miscreants from the Valley side intruded [into] the Hills and attacked them. The deceased were volunteers who were guarding the village.”

While Thawai Kuki falls under the Kamjong revenue district, it falls within the police jurisdiction of the Ukhrul district.

The village is located on the border between the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district and the Meitei-dominated Imphal East district.

The superintendent of police said that the authorities were in the process of verifying the names of those who died.

With the latest incident of violence, at least 190 people have been killed in the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur. The state has witnessed widespread violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities since May 3.

Nearly 60,000 persons have been forced to flee their homes since the violence broke out. The state has reported cases of rape and murder, and mobs have looted police armoury and set several homes on fire despite the heavy presence of central security forces.

Opposition parties have blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre and the state government for failing to control the violence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech on Tuesday, had said that while Manipur witnessed a wave of violence, there had been reports of peace in the past few days.

“The country is with the people of Manipur,” he had said, while adding that the Centre and state government were working together to find solutions to the problems in the state.