IMPHAL: In the wake of a deadly surge in violence in Manipur, the death toll continues to rise, with recent attacks claiming the lives of four civilians.
On Friday, reports surfaced of four civilian deaths in Bishnupur and Imphal West, intensifying concerns over the escalating unrest in the state.
In the village of Ningthoukhong Kha-Khunou in Bishnupur, three individuals—Hiyam Somen (54), Oinam Bamoijao (61), and his son Oinam Manitomba (35)—lost their lives when militants intruded into the village, unleashing indiscriminate gunfire in the evening of January 18.
The bodies were initially sent to the district hospital by Bishnupur police and later transferred to RIMS hospital in Imphal for autopsy.
Simultaneously, in a parallel incident, a Village Defence Volunteer (VDV), Takhellambam Manoranjan (26), met a tragic end, while another volunteer, Mangshatabam Wanglen, sustained bullet injuries in an attack near Kangchup village in Imphal West on the night of January 17.
ALSO READ Second commando killed in 24 hours as militant attacks on security forces continue in Moreh
These reports come on the heels of the death of two Manipur Police commandos in orchestrated attacks by unidentified armed militants in the border town of Moreh on January 18.
Earlier, on Thursday, a fatal gunfight erupted between armed militants and security forces in Moreh, claiming the lives of two Manipur Police commandos within 24 hours.
The deceased, identified as Takhellambam Sieleshwor Singh and Wangkhem Somorjit Meetei, were members of the 10th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), as revealed in a Manipur Police social media post.
As the state grapples with the intensifying clashes, the Manipur government has urgently sought “air assets” or helicopters from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
In a letter addressed by T. Ranjit Singh, Commissioner (Home), Manipur, the state underscored the gravity of the situation and implored the Centre to swiftly address the mounting crisis.
