New Delhi: In a major escalation in Manipur, three civilians were killed and 25 injured—all of them from the Meitei—in firing by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) after a mob stormed the force’s camp, setting vehicles on fire and attempting to snatch weapons.
The mob was protesting the killing of a four-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister as they slept in their house. They were killed when a rocket-like projectile struck their home in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in Bishnupur district around 1 am on Tuesday. The village lies along the border between the Meitei-dominated valley and the Kuki-Zomi-dominated hills.
Their deaths sparked intense protests, with locals from surrounding Meitei villages gathering to storm a CRPF camp located about a kilometre away on the fringes of Kuki and Meitei areas.
Speaking to ThePrint, a senior police officer said, “The bomb appears to have been launched from the hills. Who did it is a matter of investigation but it wasn’t an improvised rocket launcher that is often used in the area.”
“Following the incident, a mob gathered and stormed the CRPF camp in the area, accusing the force of allowing it to happen. In anger, they set vehicles ablaze, resorted to arson, broke barricades and even attempted to snatch weapons,” the officer added.
The officer said that as the situation was getting out of hand, the force initially fired in the air to disperse the crowd, but clashes broke out with personnel, after which the CRPF opened fire, killing three people and injuring 25.
“Both civilians and personnel from the security forces were injured in the clashes and public property was vandalised,” the officer said.
A separate FIR has been registered for arson in Bishnupur, police said.
In a statement, Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand said that the blast was the “handiwork of individuals or groups with vested interest in disturbing the prevailing peace in the state”. He said the case will be probed by the National Investigation Agency.
“Massive combing operation is underway. Combined security forces, including state police, Assam Rifles and CRPF have been deployed. Helicopters are also being used. Culprits will be caught at the earliest,” he said.
The state government has temporarily suspended internet services in five valley districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur—for three days to maintain order.
After the children’s deaths, a live rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was found in the Tronglaobi area and residents evacuated.
‘We are helpless’
In a statement, the Meitei Heritage Society said they condemn the attack as well as the firing by the CRPF.
“This is a heinous and barbaric bomb attack carried out by Chin Kuki terrorists at Tronglaobi, Moirang, which killed two innocent babies,” it said.
“We are equally shocked and disturbed by the firing by CRPF which killed helpless civilians who stormed the CRPF camp in anger and frustration,” the statement said.
The Meitei Heritage Society said the ongoing “targeting of Meitei civilians, including women and children, by Chin Kuki terrorists, is not an isolated occurrence but part of a disturbing and consistent pattern of violence”.
“From the use of drones to launch attacks on civilian populations, these acts underscore a systematic campaign of terror,” the statement said.
“More disturbing is the continued inability of our security forces to decisively eliminate such attacks. These repeated failures have emboldened these terrorists, giving them licence to kill with impunity while deepening fear and insecurity among Meitei civilians,” they said.
Kuki-Zo community denies allegations
The Indigenous Tribal Leader’s Forum (ITLF) gave a statement saying that they reject the allegations against the Kuki-Zo community in connection with Tranglaobi incident.
“The claims are baseless and unsupported by any credible evidence,” the statement said.
“We emphasise that any untoward incident affecting the Meitei community should not be automatically attributed to the Kuki-Zo people without proper investigation. Such assumptions only fuel misunderstanding and tensions,” it said.
The ITLF statement said the buffer zones between Kuki-Zo and Meitei are heavily guarded by security forces making it virtually impossible for Kuki-Zo individuals to cross undetected or carry out any such attack. Moreover, the Kuki village nearest to Trangloabi is abandoned and currently occupied by CRPF, further negating these allegations.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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