Violence in Manipur’s Kamjong, Ukhrul leaves 5 dead:Militants torch police station, 10 houses; over 40 killed this year

Five people, including a woman, were killed in clashes involving armed groups in Manipur’s Kamjong and Ukhrul districts on Saturday. Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, however, claimed that the death toll had risen to seven. A police station was also set on fire, according to his claim. In Chassad village, a Kuki-dominated settlement in Naga-majority Kamjong district, a 22-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were killed. The woman had been shot. Following her killing, firing broke out between Kuki and Naga armed groups on Friday night and continued until Saturday morning. Ten houses were also set on fire during the clashes. Around 40 people have been killed in Manipur since violence resumed in February. Suspected militants flee towards Myanmar border In a separate incident, suspected militants entered Ningcho village, a Tangkhul Naga settlement near the Myanmar border in Kamjong district, and opened fire, killing two people. The deceased were identified as 35-year-old Ngachanso Ningshen and 48-year-old Leshishan Leshdang. Security forces reached the village after the incident and brought the situation under control. Local villagers claimed that the attackers fled towards Myanmar after the shooting.