A resident of the Manipur village where militants attacked on Sunday, resulting in one death and several injuries, recounted the terrifying experience. The eyewitness reported seeing two drones flying over the area shortly before bombs were dropped. The resident also noted that some houses were still burning in the aftermath of the attack.
“I saw two drones flying over our village before it dropped the bomb…Some of the houses in the village are still burning because of the bombs,” Sunil Ningthoujam, a resident of the village who is related to one of the victims and a general secretary of the village peace committee, told HT.
On Sunday, militants attacked near Koutruk in the Kangchup region of Imphal West district in Manipur, using drones to drop grenades and open fire. The assault, which occurred around 2 pm amidst a gunfight between the militants and security forces, continued into the evening.
The attack resulted in the death of Ngangbam Ongbi Surbala, who was at her maternal home with her 11-year-old daughter. The child was injured by a gunshot in her right arm. Among the injured were a local journalist, two police officers, and several other village residents, according to police reports.
This incident follows a day of protest rallies by Kuki-Zo groups against Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts.
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Manipur police blames ‘Kuki militants’ for attack
The Manipur police, in a statement, blamed the Kuki militants for what it said was a “significant escalation” using tactics “commonly used in general warfare”.
“While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfares, this recent deployment of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and the civilians marks a significant escalation. The involvement of highly trained professionals, possibly with technical expertise and support, cannot be ruled out. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and the police are prepared to respond to any contingency that may arise,” the police wrote on X.
The police further appealed to the general public to maintain restraint.
Manipur home department’s statement
The Manipur home department, in a statement, condemned the attack, calling it “unfortunate”.
“The state government has learnt about the unfortunate incident of attack on unarmed Koutruk villagers using drone, bombs, and sophisticated weapons reportedly by Kuki militants. Such act of terrorising upon unarmed villagers is viewed very seriously by the state government – when it is putting all possible efforts towards bringing normalcy and peace in the state,” it said.
According to the state home department, such acts of creating “havoc among unarmed villagers” is seen as an “attempt to derail the the efforts taken by the state government to establish peace in the state”.
“The state government has already taken up immediate action to control the situation and to punish those who were involved in the attack on Koutruk Village, Imphal West,” it added.
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(With inputs from Prawesh Lama, Thomas Ngangom)
