Imphal: At least four militants were killed and another injured in a gunfight between rival groups in Manipur’s Noney district on Wednesday, officials said.
According to police, a heavy exchange of fire broke out early in the day between cadres suspected to belong to rival Naga militant outfits, including the Zeliangrong United Front-Jenchui (ZUF-J) and the Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson (ZUF-K) at Taodaijang village in the Khoupum area of the Naga-majority district, an official said.
According to initial reports, the gunfight continued for several hours, leaving three cadres of the ZUF-J and one cadre of the ZUF-K dead.
The bodies of the slain militants were recovered by local residents. Following the incident, local residents, including women, went to the spot in an attempt to prevent further violence between the rival groups. They also used a public address system to appeal to the cadres to stop firing, the official said.
Further details are awaited.
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh directed senior security officials to identify active armed groups, excluding those engaged in peace talks with the state government, suspected to be involved in the recent incidents of violence in the state.
A senior official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the Chief Minister issued the directive during the review meeting on the law and order situation in the state on Tuesday night.
Khemchand Singh also instructed the security agencies, including the Army and the central paramilitary forces, to submit a detailed report on the involvement of these groups at the earliest. The Chief Minister said that, based on the findings of the report, the state Cabinet would be constrained to consider declaring such groups as unlawful if their involvement in violence against innocent civilians is established. The CMO official said that the Chief Minister also made it clear that necessary action would be initiated against any groups continuing to perpetrate violence against the civilian population.
(IANS)
