Source: The Christian Post, April 22, 2024
Two tribal Christians guarding their village have been killed in attacks that involved gunfire and mortars in the northeast Indian state of Manipur, as per allegations by a local Kuki-Zo tribal organization. The attacks were reportedly carried out by central forces and Hindu Meitei insurgents, who then engaged in acts of dragging, mutilating and stomping on the bodies.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has accused the central forces, which are deployed to ensure peace, of collaborating with Meitei militants in the attacks that led to the deaths of 23-year-old Kamminlal Lupheng and 25-year-old Kamlengsat Lunkim in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district last week. The men were part of a civilian guard, a necessity borne out of the persistent ethnic conflict that has gripped the state since May 2023.
According to ITLF, a combined force of militants from the Arambai Tenggol and the insurgent group United National Liberation Front began attacking tribal areas last Friday and openly boasted about their exploits on social media platforms.
This resurgence of violence reflects a deep-rooted conflict that has plagued Manipur since May 2023, leading to over 200 deaths and displacing more than 75,000 people.
A PBS Newswire story reports, “As ethnic violence rages on in Manipur, Indian government accused of looking the other way” (seven-minute video; worth watching).