Imphal, Sept 09: Amid the ongoing violence in Manipur, another tragic incident unfolded in Pallel, Tengnoupal district, as the death toll climbed to three on Saturday. A 37-year-old man succumbed to his injuries overnight while receiving treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal. He had sustained a bullet wound to the head during a crossfire between security forces and armed individuals.
Earlier, two people had lost their lives, and more than fifty individuals, including members of the Indian Army, were injured when hundreds of individuals from the majority community attempted to storm tribal villages.
The situation took a turn for the worse when a gunfight erupted between security forces and armed individuals at Molnoi village near Pallel. The armed miscreants were attempting to instigate arson and violence within the village.
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As news of the gunfight spread, large groups of Meitei community members, accompanied by Meira Paibis and Arambai Tenggol militiamen dressed in commando uniforms, gathered near the gunfight locations with the intention to break through security checkpoints.
Security forces personnel made efforts to restrain the mob to prevent further escalation of the situation. The forces are committed to maintaining peace and stability in Pallel, where tensions have been simmering for several days.
The situation took a dire turn when some armed individuals, disguised in police uniforms, opened fire on the mob, resulting in gunshot injuries to an Army major. The injured officer was evacuated to a military hospital in Leimakhong via helicopter. Three other police personnel sustained injuries in the incident.
Initially, security forces used minimal force to disperse the mob. Tear gas shelling by security forces left approximately 45 women injured during the encounter. Friday morning’s gunfight had already resulted in one fatality, and a 48-year-old man was killed in the crossfire, according to officials.
