Three Rongmei Naga villagers narrowly escaped after suspected Kuki militants opened fire at them while they were working in fields in Manipur’s Noney district.
Imphal, May 26: Three members of a Rongmei Naga family narrowly escaped with their lives after suspected Kuki militants allegedly opened fire at them while they were working in agricultural fields in Manipur’s Noney district on Tuesday, according to reports and local village authorities.
The incident reportedly took place around 10:30 am at a location between Guitang Naga village and Molphei Kuki village under the jurisdiction of Khoupum Police Station. The site is said to be located nearly 30 kilometres south of the police station.
According to information received by the press, the three villagers – a father, mother and their son – were engaged in field work when armed militants allegedly emerged from the direction of Molphei Kuki village and opened fire. No major injuries were reported in the incident.
The victims were identified as Kagundai Riamei (60), son of Khangchunthai Riamei; his wife Lungdailu Riamei (55); and their son Gailatou Riamei (35), all residents of Goitang (Nungadang) village.
Reports alleged that the armed group involved in the attack was linked to the KNF-MC. The militants were reportedly carrying sophisticated weapons resembling AK-series and M16 rifles. During the firing, Gailatou Riamei was briefly separated from his parents, leading to panic among villagers who feared he had been captured or killed. Villagers later managed to trace and rescue him after retaliatory firing was reportedly carried out from the side of the village.
A video related to the incident later surfaced on social media in which Gailatou Riamei recounted the sequence of events. In the video, he stated that he and his parents were working in the fields when the militants suddenly opened fire at them.
He claimed that the armed men appeared to have been waiting in advance near the location. According to his account, his parents fled in one direction while he ran separately in an attempt to escape. Gailatou further alleged that the militants chased him while continuously firing rounds. The attackers were carrying assault rifles and were attempting to surround them.
Meanwhile, the Khoupum Area Villages Authority Council strongly condemned the incident in a statement issued following the attack. The council described the firing as an attack by heavily armed militants against unarmed civilians working in their fields.
The statement said that the intrusion of armed militants into Naga-inhabited areas is serious and urged the Manipur government to take immediate precautionary measures to ensure the safety of civilians living in the area. The council also warned that repeated attacks against villagers seeking to live peacefully would not be tolerated in the future.
