Imphal: At least four people, including the Principal of a private school, were killed and another injured in an ambush by armed militants in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday, officials said.
The militants attacked a vehicle in an isolated area between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga village, killing four people and injuring another. Confirming the incident, a police official in Imphal said all four victims belonged to the Liangmai Naga community and died on the spot after the militants opened fire at close range.
All four bodies were brought to the Senapati District Hospital. The injured man was also treated at the hospital.
Following the broad daylight killings, the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO) forced shops and business establishments in Senapati district headquarters town to down their shutters.
Different Naga organisations claimed that two to three armed Kuki militants attacked innocent Naga civilians between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga. This area serves as a vital lifeline for Naga communities living along the IT Road.
The victims were identified as Wisobou Charenamai, Tadsongbou Ringkangmai, Mariakdibou Wijunamai and Anil Wijunamai. Gaikamang Ringkangmai was injured in the attack, while a Naga student leader, Japou M.K., miraculously escaped unharmed.
Wisobou Charenamai was the Chairman of the Chawangkining Village Authority and a former Vice-President of a local organisation. At the same time, Tadsongbou Ringkangmai was the founder and Principal of Right Path School, a private educational institution.
The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the Naga people in Manipur, in a statement strongly condemned the killings and claimed that there was a complete security failure leading to the death of four Liangmai Naga civilians along the IT Road in Kangpokpi district.
The UNC alleged that the government deployed security forces discriminatorily. It accused the government of allowing Kuki militants, who are under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government, to operate freely.
“Discriminatory security force deployment by the government and letting loose Kuki militants under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the government who are on the government payroll,” the statement said.
The UNC demanded immediate intervention by the authorities, the booking of the perpetrators, and the delivery of justice at the earliest. “Such acts of terror must not go unpunished. Further, demands the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case of this heinous crime,” the statement said.
“The Naga people must seriously view this calculated escalation of the situation being stirred up by the Kuki militants under the covert support of unseen forces,” it added.
The UNC said the incident was a direct challenge to peace, the Naga political dialogue and the peace process between the government and Naga groups, and to the very existence of the Nagas in their ancestral lands.
The Naga organisations expressed serious concern over the incident. They demanded that authorities take immediate, effective measures to ensure the safety and security of civilians travelling along the crucial IT Road.
The organisations also urged the government and security agencies to identify and arrest those involved in the attack and ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the sensitive region.
