Three firewood collectors killed in ambush on Imphal East-Kangpokpi border; 48-hour bandh in Manipur valley

Three men were killed and three others injured on Monday, October 19, when suspected militants opened fire on a group of firewood collectors in a forest on the border of Manipur's Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts, PTI reported, citing officials. The news agency said 16 people had gone to the hills near Nongshum village at around 7 am, and that three more have been missing since the attack. A civil society group called a 48-hour bandh in the Imphal valley for Tuesday and Wednesday, OrissaPOST reported.

The attack

According to the PTI report carried by The Tribune and Eastern Mirror, Arubam Ronil, 35, and Lairenlakpam Inaobi, 51, died on the spot, and Kshetrimayum Sushil, 32, died later at a private hospital. The injured were named as N Suraj, 19, Meisnam Somendro, 53, and K Bosan, 45. Eastern Mirror's version of the PTI report says all 16 firewood collectors were from the Meitei community.

The Week and India.com placed the ambush at Khongbal Sunurok Uyok in Kangpokpi district, a short distance from Nongshum in Imphal East. NorthEast Now, citing security sources, described the area as near Honghman village and the Khamenlok hills, and said the attackers opened fire as the villagers were loading wood onto their vehicles.

Who was blamed

No group has claimed the attack, and the reports read include no police statement naming those responsible. Officials and most outlets describe the attackers as suspected militants. India.com, citing PTI, said the men were allegedly killed by Kuki militants, and NorthEast Now described the attackers as suspected Kuki militants. A police official quoted in an IANS report published by Punjab Kesari referred to them as unidentified militants and said security forces had begun a search for the attackers and the missing.

Protest at the Chief Minister's residence

Local residents carried two of the bodies to Imphal and placed them outside the main gate of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh's residence at Babupara, PTI reported. Police fired several rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd, and the bodies were then taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences. Protesters blocked a road at Khurai Lamlong, women demonstrated at Ema Keithel, and shops and markets in Imphal shut.

The Chief Minister visited the injured at a private hospital but did not answer reporters' questions, according to PTI. Eastern Mirror's version adds that he later chaired a security review, condemned the killing of civilians and, according to an official statement, told officials to strengthen security in vulnerable areas.

The bandh

OrissaPOST reported that the Native People Committee Manipur called the 48-hour shutdown. On Tuesday morning, markets, schools and businesses were closed in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching, and public transport stayed off the roads. A police officer, speaking without being named, told the outlet that no untoward incident had been reported that morning.

Other violence this week

The IANS report says a man, Laishram Rakesh, was shot dead during clashes between two villages at Khangabok in Thoubal district on Sunday night, and that prohibitory orders were imposed there. In Kamjong district, more than 25 houses were set on fire over 24 hours in areas inhabited by Naga and Kuki communities, IANS said. Scroll noted that the Chief Minister told the Assembly in September that at least 306 people had been killed and 49 were missing since ethnic violence began in May 2023.