A woman and her minor daughter was killed, while several others were injured after militants fired indiscriminately and dropped grenades using drones during a gunfight with security forces near Koutruk in the Kangchup region of Imphal West district of Manipur on Sep 1.
The firing incident comes barely a day after Kuki-Zo groups held protest rallies against Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts.
The Manipur Home Department strongly condemned the attack, calling it “highly deplorable and unfortunate”.
The Manipur police blamed the Kuki militants for the violence terming the incident as a “significant escalation” by using tactics “commonly used in general warfare”.
The attack took place around 2 pm and lasted till late evening.
The victim identified as Ngangbam Ongbi Surbala was visiting her maternal home with her 11-year-old daughter when militants fired indiscriminately killing her and wounding her minor daughter, media reports said adding, that the minor girl was shot in her right arm.
Some others injured in the firing include a local journalist, two police personnel, and a few other residents of the village, the police said.
“While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfare, this recent deployment of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and the civilians marks a significant escalation,” police wrote on X.
“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,” it added.
The police appealed to the people to maintain calm.
An eyewitness and resident of Koutruk village in Manipur where the fatal firing incident happened recalled the horror.
“I saw two drones flying over our village and they dropped bombs…Some houses in the village are still burning as bombs caught fire after landing at the houses,” he said.
Attack highly deplorable: Manipur home department
“The attack on unarmed Koutruk villagers using drones, bombs, and sophisticated weapons by Kuki militants is highly deplorable and unfortunate,” the Home Department said in a statement.
“Such act of terrorism on 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 added.
Such acts of creating “havoc among unarmed villagers” are seen as an “attempt to derail the the efforts taken by the state government to establish peace in the state”, reads the statement.
“The state government has already taken up immediate action to control the situation and punish those involved in the attack on Koutruk Village, Imphal West,” it added.
