Manipur villager who went to collect firewood shot dead in Kangpokpi district

ARmed persons on mon attacked a aggroup of villagers, cleanup single, in a timber in Kangpokpi district of Manipur, police said.According to officers, a group of nine villagers from Pongringlong Part-I had gone to collect firewood at around 6.40am.“Armed persons suspected to be Kuki militants...allegedly opened fire towards the villagers from a distance of around 500 metres,” said a senior police officer requesting anonymity.“Most of the villagers escaped from the spot, while one identified as Chungjanglung Panmei (58) of Pongringlong Part I of Naga community sustained a bullet injury on his right leg went missing,” police said. A team of Manipur police rushed to the scene, launched a rescue operation and found the missing person’s body. He was identified around 1.30pm.Pongringlong Part-I is located above Tupul village in Kangpokpi district and is a small Rongmei Naga village comprising 14 households with a population of around 60 people.“Around four to five bullet injury marks were found on the body including its head, suspected to be from a point-blank distance,” police said.The body was recovered by the New Keithelmanbi police team and has been sent for a post-mortem examination at an Imphal hospital.Pongringlong Youth Club, a local Rongmei Naga body, condoled the killing in a statement and accused armed Kukis. The local body said, “Chungjanglung Panmei, a village guard of Pongringlong, Rongmei Naga village had been missing during an attack and firing at the village by armed Kuki.”Also Read:4 injured during protest against Assam Rifles outpost in Manipur’s Ukhrul: CopThe local body described it as a matter of serious concern and asked for a thorough and impartial investigation by the competent authority.Pongringlong village authority refuted the claim that Chungjanglung Panmei was a village guard, saying he was a member of the village authority. He went with eight villagers to collect firewood and fix water pipes.On June 5, three villagers from the Kuki community were killed by armed persons at Loibol Khullen village under the New Keithelmanbi subdivision in Kangpokpi district.Unrest escalated in the state since May 13 between Kuki and Naga communities following a twin ambush incident carried out by unidentified armed persons in Kangpokpi and Noney districts, which killed four civilians, including three church leaders and one Naga man.In the aftermath of the twin ambushes, 48 civilians from Kuki and Naga communities were taken hostage. On May 15, 14 people from each community were freed. However, according to civil bodies from both communities, 14 Kuki civilians and six Naga civilians are still being held hostage.