Four
people were
shot dead
in
Bishnupur
district of Manipur on Thursday evening as ethnic violence continued in the northeastern state.
According to the police, the incident took place at Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou, claiming the lives of a man and his elderly father. Authorities are currently investigating the case. According to an eyewitness, who managed to escape the attack, "Five to six armed individuals arrived while the laborers were working on the farmland and shot them from close range."
Following the shooting, the assailants fled to the nearby hill ranges from where they had come. These latest casualties bring the total number of deaths to seven, including two police commandos, in separate districts of Manipur since Wednesday. The state has been grappling with ethnic violence since May last year, resulting in over 180 fatalities.
The conflict initially erupted on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The Meiteis, who constitute about 53 percent of Manipur's population and predominantly reside in the Imphal Valley, are in contrast to the tribal communities, including Nagas and Kukis, who account for 40 percent of the population and primarily inhabit the hill districts.
English (US) ·