Imphal: Following a fierce gun battle between two armed factions on a hill in Manipur, visuals capturing the aftermath have circulated widely on social media. The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal, the state capital, has confirmed receiving two bodies, with fears that the death toll may rise. The Manipur Police, later corroborating the incident, reported two fatalities.
The skirmish erupted on a hill covered with dry winter shrubs in Koutruk, a village located approximately 20 km from Imphal.
One viral video depicted a frantic scene as individuals sought cover on a village road, with voices urging caution amidst unseen gunfire. In the footage, a man pleaded with elderly women to hasten their movement, warning of bullets in the vicinity.
Another video captured armed individuals burning bedding and belongings, likely belonging to the victims, while provisions like food packets and biscuits lay scattered. Clad in olive green battledress, the assailants discharged rounds from assault rifles and directed verbal assaults toward the Chief Minister.
M Barish Sharma, former state chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and has been hospitalized after being transported from Kangpokpi, 45 km from Imphal.
Ethnic tensions between the hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo tribes and the valley-residing Meiteis have persisted for nearly nine months, stemming from disputes over land, resources, political representation, and affirmative action policies.
With deep-seated divisions along ethnic lines, the central authorities have imposed a “buffer” zone between the hill areas inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Imphal valley.
The Kuki-Zo tribes claim their “village defense volunteers” have been fending off attacks from valley-based armed groups encroaching into the hills, allegedly to obstruct farming activities. Conversely, the Meiteis assert that fertile agricultural lands in the foothills fall within the purview of the “so-called Kuki-Zo volunteers,” who purportedly resort to violence against farmers.
A notable similarity between the defense volunteers of both factions is their possession of modern weaponry and battle gear, often including Russian-origin AK and US-origin M series assault rifles commonly found among military and insurgent groups in neighboring Myanmar.
Since the outbreak of violence in May 2023, during which over 180 individuals have perished and thousands have been displaced internally, the Kuki-Zo tribes, representing 10 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur assembly, have advocated for a separate administrative entity. They cite a breakdown of trust with the Meiteis as a primary catalyst for their secessionist aspirations.
While 25 Kuki insurgent groups have entered into tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with the Centre and the state, concerns linger regarding compliance, with allegations of irregular attendance at designated camps.
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