IMPHAL, OCT 19: Violent unrest swept parts of Manipur on Monday following the death of three villagers in a militant ambush along the border of Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts. Local authorities confirmed that three individuals were killed while gathering firewood in a nearby forest, triggering widespread demonstrations across the state capital.
Official sources maintained that a group of 16 residents had ventured into the forest area early in the morning when armed assailants initiated gunfire. Two individuals, Arubam Ronil and Lairenlakpam Inaobi, died instantly at the scene, while Kshetrimayum Sushil passed away later at a medical facility. Three other group members sustained injuries and are receiving medical care, while search efforts continue for three individuals reported missing.
Following the incident, aggrieved locals transported the victims to Imphal and assembled near the Chief Minister’s residence at Babupara. Law enforcement personnel deployed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd before moving the bodies to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences. Security measures around key administrative locations were intensified, while Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh visited the injured at the hospital to monitor their recovery. Demonstrations and road blockades were also observed in various local markets across the city.
