October 2, 2024 8:44 PM.
In Manipur, three persons were killed and over forty persons injured in the exchange of fire between the villagers of two Naga villages in the Ukhrul district. The incident took place around 10.30 AM when villagers of Hunphun and Hungpung villages engaged in a shootout between Viewland Baptist Church and Punjab National Bank in Ukhrul Market. Local people said that the boundary disputes between the villages were the reason for the incident. The exchange of fire between the villagers lasted till evening.
According to a Police source, one personnel of the 6th Manipur Rifles identified as Worinmi Thumra was among the dead. The injured villagers are being treated in the hospitals located in Ukhrul and Imphal.
The State Government shut down internet and mobile data service for 24 hours in the Ukhrul district starting this afternoon. Additional security forces including paramilitary have been deployed in Ukhrul to bring normalcy.
Meanwhile, three MLAs of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts in a joint press statement appealed to both the warring groups for restraint and peace. Church organisations and Naga civil society organisations also appeal to both groups to refrain from violence.