Correspondent
IMPHAL, NOV 4: Fresh tensions flared in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Wednesday after suspected militants opened fire on passenger vehicles plying along NH-202 (Imphal-Ukhrul Road) with security convoy.
No casualty was reported in the latest attack on the passenger vehicles moving towards Ukhrul from Imphal under security escort while passing through TM Kasom area around 4.45 pm on Wednesday. The firing started continued till around 6pm as the vehicles with the security convoy were passing the areas.
Local sources quoting some passengers who faced the ordeal alleged that firing originated from the direction of Yaolen Chepu, a Kuki hamlet under Litan police station of Ukhrul district where a Border Security Force (BSF) post is located in the vicinity of the village.
Following the attack, the security escort stopped the vehicles between Leingangching and TM Kasom under Litan police station only to resume after a few minutes of stoppage. The fresh ambush on the civilian vehicles along the NH-202 came against the backdrop of repeated attacks along the same highway stretch when the renewed Naga-Kuki conflict unfolded in February this year.
In one of the deadly ambushes on April 18, two civilians from Tangkhul (Naga) tribe were killed while two women passengers were injured.
A truck driver from West Bengal was also killed and a police constable injured in another ambush on vehicles transporting Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice to Ukhrul along the same highway in another incident on May 29.