Kuki militants attack sand miners

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 6 : After farmers and firewood collectors, Kuki militants have now started targeting sand miners.
A number of innocent sand miners had a narrow escape today as Kuki militants armed with sophisticated weapons attacked them at Tumulok, Imphal East today.
Heavily armed Kuki militants came down from the hill of Molham Kuki village toward the sand mining area located in between Nongdam Tangkhul and Tumukhong Meitei village and fired indiscriminately toward those who were engaged in mining sand at around 1.10 pm.
On hearing the indiscriminate firing, Tumukhong villagers who were mining sand in the area ran in different directions to save their lives.
Sources said that the Kuki militants further came down to Tumulok and fired several rounds of bullets on the vehicles which were left behind due to the attack and tried to torch the vehicles.
Locals of Nongdam Tangkhul came out and intervened saying that they would not allow such activities in Naga inhabited areas.
Following the intervention, Kuki militants left the place and climbed up the nearby hill, fuming and fretting all the while.
Tyres of three trucks used in carrying sand were damaged after Kuki militants fired on the vehicles.
Soon after the incident, village volunteers who were guarding the nearby Meitei villages rushed to the spot to push back the Kuki militants and stop them from further advancing toward Tumukhong Meitei village.
They fired some rounds of bullets toward the Kuki militants.
State police and Central forces too rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and prevent gunfight in the area.
Nonetheless, the Kuki militants and the village volunteers were engaged in exchange of fire till the time of filing this report in the afternoon.
There might be some casualties on the side of Kuki militants as the Kuki militants could be seen carrying injured comrades on shoulders and running toward their village.
However, there is no report of any injury on the side of Meitei villagers during the attack by Kuki militants.