Newspaper editor attacked in Manipur

Khoirom Loyalakpa, Editor-in-Chief of the local daily Naharolgi Thoudang and president of the Manipur Hockey Association, was injured after being assaulted by armed miscreants in Imphal on Wednesday night. The attack occurred near Hatta War Cemetery under Porompat police station around 10 pm.
Reports said a car, suspected to be a Maruti Swift, trailed Loyalakpa’s vehicle before blocking his path. The assailants fired two rounds at his car window, dragged him out, and assaulted him with a hard object, causing facial injuries. Locals rushed to the scene, prompting the attackers to flee. Police later recovered two empty .32 calibre bullet cases and registered a case to identify the culprits and motive.
Loyalakpa was admitted to JNIMS hospital. Notably, in July 2024, unidentified miscreants had fired six rounds at his residence, raising concerns over his security. Though he had been provided protection, it was withdrawn last year despite continued threats.
Strongly condemning the attack, the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM) announced a sit-in protest in Imphal.