Elderly woman, 3 others shot dead by gunmen in Manipur
What's the story
Four people were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Manipur's Churachandpur district in an ambush on Monday. The attack took place around 2:00pm near Mongjang village when the victims were traveling in an SUV. The deceased have been identified as Thenkhothang Haokip alias Thahpi (48), Seikhogin (34), Lengouhao (35), and Phalhing (72).
Possible motive
Attack likely linked to intergroup clash between Kuki insurgents
NDTV sources suggest that the attack is not related to ethnic violence in Manipur but is possibly an intergroup clash between Kuki insurgents. Preliminary reports indicate that the victims were shot at point-blank range. Over a dozen empty shells were recovered from the scene of the crime; however, no group has claimed responsibility for this targeted attack so far. In the wake of the attack, police have deployed additional forces to secure the area and launch search operations.
Violence reduction
Manipur has seen a major decline in violence
Manipur, for the most part, has seen a major decline in violence since President's rule was imposed in February. The region saw only one protest-related fatality during central rule from February 13 to June 26, a stark contrast to the 260 fatalities recorded from May 3, 2023, until then. Injuries have also drastically reduced, with only 29 new cases reported over the last four months compared to a total of 1,776 since May.
Recovery efforts
Security forces are working hard to recover thousands of weapons
Security forces are also working hard to recover thousands of weapons looted from police armories after violence broke out in May 2023. During the period of central rule, no incidents of arson or vandalism were reported, unlike over 17,000 such incidents before the president's rule was imposed. The President's Rule was imposed in Manipur in February, five days after former Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post.