IMPHAL: Fresh tensions erupted in Manipur’s Imphal East on Friday after a group of villagers collecting firewood were fired upon by armed miscreants suspected to be from the Kuki community.The incident occurred around 10am when Meitei villagers from three localities of Pukhao, a peripheral village in Imphal East bordering Kangpokpi, went to gather firewood from a nearby forest. According to villagers, they were accompanied by personnel of the CRPF and Manipur Rifles when the firing took place. Sources said 10-12 shots were fired from an area suspected to be Changsang hill under Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district, forcing the villagers to flee in panic. No casualty was reported, but security measures were heightened in the area. Following the incident, an 18-member delegation of villagers met the Imphal East SP on Friday afternoon, seeking steps to ensure their safety as they depend on the forest for livelihood. Meanwhile, heavy firing between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki groups was reported at multiple locations in Ukhrul since Thursday. Official sources said the firing continued intermittently until Friday morning in the Sinakeithei area. Tensions between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities have persisted since a drunken brawl in February, which escalated into arson, abductions, and road blockades.
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In response to the situation, Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh chaired a high-level review meeting with the chief secretary, DGP, and security adviser at the new civil secretariat – the first such deliberation held there. The meeting came amid reports of a possible dialogue between the CM and representatives of the Kuki-Zo Council in Guwahati on Saturday.
