Violence in Manipur flares up yet again killing a tax assistant in Imphal and 4 people in Churachandpur

When security personnel were evacuating Meiteis from Churachandpur in Manipur, four individuals were shot and killed. Meanwhile, Letminthang Haokip, a tax assistant, was reportedly slain in Imphal, according to the IRS (Indian Revenue Service) Association. They tweeted, "No cause or ideology can justify the killing of an innocent public servant on duty."

The shooting in Churachandpur came after days of violent fighting between the Kuki tribe, which also has origins in the region, and the state's majority Meitei group. The Kukis have been targeted in the state capital Imphal, while the Meiteis have been attacked in hill tribe-dominated districts.

According to Churachandpur resident and researcher Muan Hansingh (24), violence started in the town on Friday about 7 o'clock. People are staying in their houses due to the deployment of security forces. We learned about 7 o'clock that the town's last Meitei residents would be evacuated by security forces. The opposition to the evacuation gathered along Tidim Road, the major thoroughfare of the town, and blocked it off. Women were placed in the front of the barricade because we believed they wouldn't be shot at. However, the guards started firing, and four people perished, he claimed.

In Imphal, a representative of the Assam Rifles claimed to have heard that a grouping of "80-200" individuals had taken place and that four people had perished in the firing. Evacuation of people from different parts of the state is constantly going on, he added, adding that road blockades are still frequent in various regions of the state.

A senior police official from the district put the death toll at three, while a senior official from the central security forces stated four had passed away.