1. A recent violent episode in Manipur sees a deadly gunfight between two groups in Haotak Phailen village.
2. A tragic outcome claims four lives, including a father-son duo, on January 10 around 3 pm.
3. Haotak Phailen village lies at the border of Bishnupur and Churachandpur, bridging the Meitei and Kuki communities.
Churachandpur, Jan 11: In the latest episode of violence in conflict-ridden Manipur, a deadly gunfight erupted between two groups, resulting in the tragic deaths of four individuals, including a father-son duo, at Haotak Phailen village in Churachandpur district on January 10 around 3 pm.
Situated on the border of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, Haotak Phailen village finds itself at the intersection of Meitei-dominated Bishnupur and the predominantly Kuki-inhabited Churachandpur.
According to locals, the violent clash unfolded in the forest of Haotak Phailen village, approximately 38 km from the district headquarters. Allegations surfaced that a group from Tampha Khunou, a neighboring village northeast of Haotak Phailen, exploited the proximity and engaged in unauthorized firewood cutting within the village’s forest.
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In response to reports of this illegal activity, village volunteers swiftly intervened to confront the intruders.
This intervention led to an intense gun battle lasting over an hour, resulting in the reported deaths of four individuals involved in the woodcutting operation. No casualties were reported among the Haotak Phailen village volunteers.
The Kuki village volunteers assert that the intruders were armed militants, while Tampha Khunou locals claim that the deceased were innocent civilians engaged in ginger harvesting near the incident site.
The latter group contends that the four were victims of Kuki militant groups, an allegation vehemently denied by the opposing side.
The deceased have been identified as Oinam Romen Meitei (45), Ahanthem Dara Meitei (56), Thoudam Ibomcha Meitei (53), and Thoudam Anand Meitei (27), with the last two belonging to the same family—father and son, Ahanthem and Anand.
Earlier, reports of the four missing individuals had been filed at Kumbi Police Station in Bishnupur. While the bodies of three victims have been recovered, the fourth remains missing.
Multiple sources report instances of six mortar rounds being fired, in addition to gunfire from small firearms during the altercation.
The region has been plagued by sporadic incidents of violence over the past few months, stemming from clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities that erupted in May of the previous year. The ongoing conflict has claimed a toll of 180 lives, exacerbating tensions within the region.
