Manipur violence flares up again: Houses torched, woman gunned down, ‘teacher set on fire’

Tensions flared up in the several districts of Manipur earlier this week, with fresh violence being reported in Bishnupur on Saturday. Officials said a woman working in the paddy fields was gunned down by suspected hills-based militants in the Bishnupur district of Manipur on Saturday.

The incident took place in the Saiton area when the woman, along with other farmers, went to tend to the crops when militants opened fire from hill-based positions on the low-lying farmlands in Imphal Valley, news agency PTI reported.

The woman died on the spot, the officials said, adding the incident sparked tension in the village with the locals alleging that the central forces deployed in the area were not taking action to thwart such attacks.

Additional security forces have been sent to the area, PTI reported.

Women set on fire in Hmar village

The incident was reported two days after a 31-year-old woman was reportedly shot and set on fire as people in tribal Hmar village were attacked by a group of armed militants in ethnic strife-torn Manipur's Jiribam district.

Kuki-Zo organisations claimed that a woman, a resident of the village, was killed during the attack.

Villagers found the woman's charred remains on Friday afternoon. Police said on Friday the incident occurred on Thursday evening in Zairon Hmar village after the group of militants set at least six houses on fire.

"Preliminary reports suggested that several villagers managed to flee during the attack and took shelter in nearby forest. At least six houses were severely damaged due to the arson. An investigation is underway," the officer was quoted by told news agency PTI as saying.

Local Hmar community organisations identified the deceased as 31-year-old Zosangkim, a teacher who lived in the village with her husband and three children, Indian Express reported.

The locals reportedly alleged that she was killed in an attack on the village by “armed Meitei militants”. Hmar is among the tribes in the Kuki-Zo umbrella currently in conflict with the Meitei community in Manipur.

According to Hmar groups, Zosangkim and her family ran out of their home along with others when the arson began at around 9 pm but she was shot in the leg and was not able to escape.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis in Manipur since May last year.