Manipur: Journalist hurt in firing in Imphal East, CM condemns incident
The journalist sustained bullet injuries on his left thigh while covering the gunfight between militants and forces at Thamnapokpi village, police said.
A video journalist was injured in firing by armed men from the hills in Imphal East district of Manipur on Saturday, police said, with chief minister N Biren Singh strongly condemning the latest militant attacks in Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi areas.
L Kabichandra, a video journalist of Impact TV, a private television channel, sustained bullet injuries on his left thigh while covering the gunfight between armed militants and security forces at Thamnapokpi village, police said.
“He was rushed to Raj Medicity in Imphal, where hospital authorities confirmed that the bullet passed through his thigh, fracturing a bone,” a security official said, requesting anonymity.
Following the incident, combined security forces conducted search operations in the area, including the Uyok hill range, where suspected armed Kuki militants had launched attacks on Meitei villages, police officers said.
Since May 3 last year, Manipur has been split by ethnic clashes between Meitei community, which is in majority in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kukis, who are dominant in few hill districts. The violence has claimed more than 250 lives and uprooted tens of thousands of people.
The latest round of attacks in Imphal was reported on December 24 and since sporadic firings have been escalated in the district. On Friday night, an elderly woman sustained injuries in firing by militants towards Thamnapokpi in Imphal East from the nearby hills of Kuki-dominant Kangpokpi district. Earlier on Friday, two people, including a police commando, were injured in firing at Sanasabi.
“Strongly condemn the indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East, which injured civilians and security personnel. This cowardly and unprovoked attack on innocent lives is an assault on peace and harmony,” chief minister Singh said in a post on X.
He said additional security forces have been rushed to the affected areas and called for calm and unity in the wake of such challenges.
“Adequate security personnel have been rushed to the affected areas. The injured are receiving necessary medical assistance, and the government calls for calm and unity in the face of such challenges. Central forces and state police should have proper coordination and understanding when dealing with such situations,” the CM added.
