Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Imphal: A 55-year-old farmer was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Manipur's Tamenglong district on Tuesday, June 9. The victim, identified as Haogin Louvum of Lansan Kuki village, was working in a paddy field near the Imphal-Tamenglong road when the attack occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. Police have recovered the body and transported it to Kangpokpi district for legal processing.
While local residents and the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills have pointed toward Naga militant groups as the perpetrators, authorities stated that the identity of the assailants remains unconfirmed. Following the shooting, police launched an official investigation and tightened security measures along the main transit routes to contain growing regional instability.
The killing has heightened friction between the Kuki and Naga communities, which was already strained by a string of violent incidents. Just one day prior, a Naga civilian named Chunjanglung Panmei was killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district. On the same day as Louvum's death, 14 Kuki civilians were released after being held by Naga civil bodies since May 13.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur condemned the shooting, labeling the attack a “cold-blooded murder” and calling for better protection for vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages. The organization has criticized the state for security lapses and demanded accountability from district officials. Government authorities have yet to respond to these allegations as the investigation continues.
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