Three killed in suspected militant attack in Manipur; locals protest outside CM's residence

Imphal: Three people were killed and three others injured in a suspected militant attack in Manipur after a group of villagers collecting firewood in the hills near their village was allegedly ambushed, officials said. The incident triggered protests in the state capital, with angry residents bringing the victims’ bodies to the residence of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh.

According to officials, 16 people had gone to the nearby hills around 7 am to collect firewood when the attack took place. Arubam Ronil, 35, and Lairenlakpam Inaobi, 51, died at the spot, while Kshetrimayum Sushil, 32, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital.

The three injured victims — N Suraj, 19, Meisnam Somendro, 53, and K Bosan, 45 — were undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Following the incident, angry residents brought the bodies to Imphal and placed them outside the main gate of the chief minister’s residence in Babupara to protest the continuing violence in the state.

Police fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators. The bodies were subsequently taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS).

Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh later visited the injured victims at a private hospital but did not respond to media queries, according to reports.

Protests also spread to other parts of Imphal. Demonstrators blocked a road at Khurai Lamlong, while a group of women staged a protest at Ema Keithel, a prominent market in the state capital. Markets and shops across Imphal shut following the incident.

Security was tightened around the chief minister’s residence and along nearby roads amid heightened tensions.

The attack has renewed concerns over the continuing security situation in Manipur, which has experienced prolonged ethnic violence since May 2023. Further details about the suspected attackers and the motive behind the incident were not immediately available.