In a devastating incident that unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday, 14 June, a deadly attack was unleashed on Aigejang Village in Manipur, resulting in the deaths of at least 9 people, most of them believed to be civilian volunteers.
While locals said the targeted civilians had been volunteering their services to assist the community, a report filed by The Hindu claimed that the deceased were part of a mob that attacked Kuki villages.
“Investigations are on to find out if they were killed by village guards or suspected Kuki militants. All the nine deceased are Meitei. We couldn’t find any arms on them. The nearest Meitei village is three kilometres away. The deceased belong to different villages in Imphal East,” Shivakanta Singh, Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu.
The village is located in the periphery area of Imphal East, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts, also referred to as the Khamenlok. The assailants employed sophisticated rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
Reports indicate that the victims were taken by surprise as the attackers launched a sudden assault, firing the RPGs with deadly accuracy. The targeted civilians had been volunteering their services to assist the community.
Later, medical assistance was sought for the injured, with approximately 10 individuals sustaining serious injuries. They were promptly transferred to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment.
The deceased victims were transferred to the mortuary at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), where authorities are working tirelessly to identify and notify the families affected by this horrific incident.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue and the full extent of the casualties becomes clear.
Manipur has been engulfed in violence between the Meitei Hindus and the tribal Kukis since 3 May.
(Editor's note: An earlier version of the copy incorrectly spelt the name of the village where the incident took place, and the error has been corrected. Some details in the story were based on initial inputs and have been updated after additional reporting on the incident came to light.)
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