Correspondent
IMPHAL, NOV 13: Four Naga civilians, including two women, were killed after suspected militants opened fire on two civilian vehicles along the Imphal-Ukhrul road in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday afternoon, raising fresh concerns over escalating violence in the Naga-Kuki conflict.
The victims included a mother and her son, and a brother and sister. The incident occurred around 1pm near the New Haven area of Shokvao village, opposite Yaolen Chepu, a Kuki village under Litan police station, along NH-102, police said.
According to reports, armed miscreants fired at a Maruti Swift car and a Bolero pickup, killing all four occupants on the spot. The vehicles reportedly met with accidents after coming under fire.
The deceased were identified as Kapangkhui Raihing and her son Haoleila Raihing, residents of Shangshak village, who were travelling in the Swift. The other two victims, August Ngalung and Khanmila Ngalung, siblings from Tashar village, were travelling in the Bolero pickup.
Sources alleged that the victims were shot inside the vehicles. The circumstances surrounding the attack are under investigation.
Local police and security personnel stationed at nearby posts rushed to the site and retrieved the bodies. Additional forces, including state police, BSF, Army and Assam Rifles, were deployed to reinforce security and prevent further violence.
Search operations were launched in and around the area to trace those involved. Police said no suspects had been apprehended till the time of filing this report.
The bodies were taken to the mortuary of Ukhrul district hospital for mandatory procedures before being handed over to the families.
The incident comes amid repeated attacks on civilian vehicles since renewed Naga-Kuki tensions erupted in February this year, with Ukhrul district emerging as a major flashpoint. Civilian vehicles travelling along the NH-102 stretch through Kuki-dominated areas have been provided security escorts in view of earlier ambushes. However, it could not be confirmed whether the two vehicles involved in Friday’s attack were travelling with escorts.
The latest attack came a day after a woman was killed and three men injured in two separate armed incidents in Senapati and Ukhrul districts on Thursday.
The incidents also occurred despite intensified security arrangements in vulnerable areas following a review of the state’s security situation by chief minister Y. Khemchand Singh. At a meeting on November 3, the chief minister had directed security agencies to submit a detailed report on the involvement of armed groups in the ongoing gun violence so that lawful action could be initiated.