Cop shot dead, one injured in buffer zone between Churachandpur-Bishnupur districts

A State Police Sub-Inspector on duty was shot dead using sniper allegedly by the Meitei militants in cohort with State machineries at buffer zone near N. Chingphei in the periphery of Kuki inhabited Churachandpur and majority Meitei district of Bishnupur on Wednesday afternoon.

The policeman, belonging to the Kuki community, was identified as Onkhomang Haokip (35yrs) S/o (L) Jampao Haokip of Molcham Village, Saikul Sub-Division, currently a resident of DHQ Tuibong, Lamka. He was shot in the head by a sniper at around 1:30 p.m., and another village guard sustained bullet injury on his thigh. The policeman was deployed at the buffer zone when the incident happened today's afternoon.

The lifeless body of the Police officer was brought to Churachandpur Police station where he was given gun salute and a condolence programme was held in Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi (KKL) Complex in late afternoon. His dead body was later deposited in Lamka Hospital Mortuary.

The attack comes a day after three Kuki-Zo village volunteers were ambushed by the Meitei armed militants, dressed in Police Commando uniform, on their way between Ireng and Kharam Vaiphei villages in Kangchup area under Kangpokpi district. Indiscriminate gun-firings and unabated attacks on Kuki-Zo inhabited areas continue in the peripheral areas where the Hills and Valley meet, even after more than 130 days since the violence broke out on May 3.

On September 8, another three persons were killed and over 50 injured at Pallen in Tengnoupal district. As per reports, armed men in police uniforms are a constant challenge for the Central security forces in violence-hit Manipur. There have been several instances of uniformed men carrying automatic weapons, firing at security forces deployed in buffer zones, preceded by blockade and protest by women-led groups.

A government official said that a large number of sophisticated weapons that were looted from police armories' are yet to be recovered. More than 5000 weapons are said to have been looted since the ethnic violence began on May 3.

More than 180 people have been killed, several hundreds injured, hundreds of houses including Churches burnt down and about 60000 people internally displaced.