New Delhi, Aug 18, 2023: After two weeks of relative peace, three people were killed in Manipur’s Ukhrul district today, police said.
Heavy gunfire broke out between two communities in Thowai village near Litan, killing three villagers. The sounds of gunfire were heard early in the morning, and the firing stopped only after security forces reached the area.
A thorough search operation was carried out by civil society groups in surrounding villages and forest areas before the bodies were recovered.
Over 180 people have been killed and thousands have been displaced in the ongoing ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities. The violence erupted on May 3 over the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.