They were fights carried out by unidentified men...
On Tuesday, 21 November 2023, an India Reserve Battalion (IRB) jawan and a civilian were killed in an ambush carried out by unknown armed men in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur.
The victims have been identified as Henminlen Vaiphei (IRB) from Leimakhong Mission Veng village and Thangminlun Hangsing from Hunkho Kuki village in Imphal West district.
The ambush took place between Haraothel and Kobsha villages.
A Maruti Gypsy carrying IRB personnel and his driver came under gunfire, resulting in death. Both Henminlen Vaiphei and Thangminlun Hangsing succumbed to their injuries during the attack.
Additional forces have been deployed in the area after the attack and a search is going on to arrest the accused involved in the incident, a police official said.
Meanwhile, a tribal organization claimed that the Kuki-Zo community was targeted without provocation.
The Committee on Tribal Unity based in Kangpokpi has declared an "emergency shutdown", and locals are to observe the suspension of normal activities.
The COTU, at a meeting, tabled demands that Chief Minister Biren Singh-led government make arrangements for a separate administration for tribals in the state.
The northeastern state has been hit by violence since May after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts of Manipur to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Edited By: Arusha Farooq
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