Kuki militants bombard Meitei villages, army man injured

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 10 : After a young woman working in paddy fields was killed in a fierce attack launched by Kuki militants at Saiton in Bishnupur district on Saturday morning, Kuki militants have intensified their offensive since last evening by attacking several Meitei villages in Imphal East district under Yaingangpokpi police station and Jiribam.
The Kuki militants attacked the Meitei villages using bombs and sophisticated firearms from the nearby hill ranges and one army personnel was injured in the attack.          
From around 9.30 pm yesterday, Kuki militants  fired multiple rounds of bombs and bullets toward the Meitei villages of Sabungkhok Khunou, Shantikhongbal, Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi from the direction of Yaingangpokpi Uyokching, Thamnapokpi Uyokching and Natumching.
The firing went on till around 1 am today.
Even though security forces retaliated, there was no report of casualties on either side.
The Kuki militants resumed their attack at around 10 am today and one personnel of 4th Mahar Regiment suffered bullet injury on the left arm.
It is said that the injury is not serious.  
Meanwhile, local villagers raised an uproar on the ground that the security forces did not respond adequately to the fierce attacks launched by Kuki militants using bombs and sophisticated firearms.
Notably, troops of 4th Mahar Regiment, BSF and State Police are stationed in the area.
But sources said that the security forces resorted to intense retaliatory firing.
Later, a team of State police led by DIG N Herojit rushed to the frontline and took stock of the situation.
The DIG also talked with army and paramilitary officers at Lamlai police station.
After a gap of some hours, Kuki militants again attacked the Meitei villages from the nearby hills at around 3 pm, said the sources.
Kuki militants, on the other hand, torched a Forest Beat Office near Laltingkhal Makhabasti in Jiribam by well armed Kuki militants today at around 5 pm.
Jiri News Network (JNN) reported that it was about 30 Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons who torched the office.
CRPF personnel posted nearby were unable  to proceed to the site of the attack at the time of filing this report, JNN further reported.
A group of Kuki militants also bombarded Mongbung, a Meetei village in Jiribam, last night at around 8.30.
The attack came some time after the Central and the State force carried out a search operation at Mongbung, said locals.
About 60 bombs were fired at Mongbung, according to locals.
Though no one was injured, some houses were destroyed in the attack.
One of the bombs landed in the house of  Khwairakpam Ngounu. The house, fortunately, was unoccupied at the time of the attack.
It is reported that Kuki militants also fired multiple rounds at Uchathol from Phaitoul Village last night.
Meanwhile, the Loumee Lup of Salai Kanba Lup has vehemently condemned the killing of Sapam (ongbi) Sophia w/o Sapam Dayananda at around 10.30 am on November 9 by Kuki narco-terrorists at Saiton.
The lup has also been mourning the death of Sapam Sophia.
The lup further urged the Government to take up strong security measures at all vulnerable places and avoid such dastardly killings.
It further pointed out that the genocide campaign launched by Kuki narco-terrorists against Meitei/Meetei has already completed 18 months.