Manipur violence: One dead in gunfight

A person was killed in a gunfight with unidentified men in Manipur's Kangpokpi district in early morning on Saturday.

The incident took place when unidentified people attacked local volunteers guarding a hill village, a senior police officer who does not want to be named told ET, adding: “There was a gun battle.”

There is tension in the Bishnupur and Kangpokpi districts following the killing, the officer said.


Recently, two people, including an Indian Reserve Battalion personnel, were killed in an ambush near Haraothel in the Kangpokpi district.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) said the ITLF and the Kuki-Zo community want the central government to immediately remove N Biren Singh as chief minister in the light of his recent remarks. The spokesperson, Ginza Vualzong, accused Singh of saying publicly that was working for the interest of the Meitei community.

“As the chief minister of the state, Biren is duty-bound to work for the welfare of the entire population and should be striving to maintain law and order. Instead, he said he became a lawmaker to look after the interests of the Meiteis,” he alleged.

At least 175 people were killed and 1,108 others injured since May 3 in ethnic violence in the state.