Heavy gunfight in Moreh kills 4, injuring several others; Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers declare to defend aggression from communal State forces

A heavy gunfight which broke out in Moreh, a border hill town, on Tuesday morning between the Village Volunteers and alleged communal combined forces of Meitei militants, Arambai Tenggol and Police Commandos resulted in killing 4 individuals and injuring seven others including security personnel.

As per sources, the violent incident occurred as a result of the communal Meitei armed forces' highhandedness today at around 8:00 AM, when the Meitei militants including the radicalised private militia goons embedded with the Police commandos ruinously launched operation in civilian areas of Chavangphai, Moreh Ward No. 7 within the jurisdiction of Kuki-Zo inhabited Moreh town.

In the ensuing heavy gunfight which lasted till 10:00 AM on Tuesday, four Meitei militants masquerading as Police Commandos lost their lives, sources said.

Among the seven reportedly injured persons, four belong to Police commandos who are identified as Maibam Thoiba (32) S/o M. Rabi of Yairipok Top Leikai; Changangbom Herojit (38) S/o Ch. Bira of Kodompokpi Mayai Leikai; Kamei Gaihemlung (40) S/o Majapou of Ragailong, Imphal West, and Mangsatabam Premkumar (35) S/o M. Tollen of Luwangsangbam.

Categorically terming the continued deployment and stationing of the combined forces of Meitei Militants, Meitei police commandos and Arambai Tenggol in Kuki-Zo area of Moreh in Tengnoupal district as "unacceptable", the Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers have declared to defend their ancestral land and its people from the communal Meiteis' state forces till the last drop of their blood.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Village Volunteers said masquerading the Meitei militants and Arambai Tenggol and deploying them in the name of police commandos to annihilate Kuki-Zo people in Moreh border town was a well-known fact to all.

"The Kuki-Zo people, especially in Tengnoupal district, through the CSOs, have repeatedly put up the matter to central security forces. And, we had been appealing all the concerns to withdraw the combined forces of Meitei militants and Meitei police commandos from Tengnoupal district. However, our repeated appeal remains unheard," the Village Volunteers said.

Instead, the combined forces of the Meitei militants and Meitei police commandos unleashed terror in Moreh and its surroundings. They torched civilian houses in Lhangnom Veng, Moreh, detained and thrashed innocent civilians including a private school Teacher. They even planted bombs in T. Yangnom and T. Lhangnomphai village areas to kill and injure Kuki-Zo civilians, the Volunteers alleged.

As the notorious state forces including the private milita groups continue to terrorise the Kuki-Zo people in Moreh and Tengnoupal District, the Village Volunteers said, they are compelled to retaliate against them.

The Tengnoupal district Village Volunteers promised that they would fight back against such State-sponsored terrorists till the last drop of their blood.

"We will not step-down untill the concerned authority removes the Meitei militants and Meitei police commandos from Moreh town," the Volunteers added.