Four people killed as suspected militants fire on vehicles in Ukhrul district
Two women and two men died on the spot after attackers targeted two cars on the Imphal-Ukhrul highway.
Four people, including two women, were killed on Friday afternoon when suspected militants opened fire on two vehicles in Manipur's Ukhrul district, according to reports from Scroll and India TV. The incident occurred in the New Haven area along the Imphal-Ukhrul highway, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Litan police station.
A police official told PTI that two men and two women travelling in the two four-wheelers died on the spot. Bullet marks were observed on the windshields of the vehicles. Security agencies have launched a hunt to apprehend the militants and an investigation is currently underway.
The attack follows a firing incident on Thursday near Taphou Kuki village in the Senapati and Kangpokpi districts. In that incident, a 42-year-old Kuki woman, identified as K Chongloi, was killed and two others were injured during a gunfight between rival rebel groups. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen has called for a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the matter.
The deaths in Ukhrul and the previous day's incident follow ongoing ethnic tensions in the state. Clashes between Naga and Kuki groups in the hill districts have resulted in at least 72 deaths since February. This is part of the broader ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities, which has left at least 306 people dead and 49 missing.