Soldier's Relative Among Four Abducted In Manipur; 7 Injured In Firing

Meitei militants allegedly abducted four persons, including three relatives of a serving army soldier, in Imphal West district, intensifying the ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur. In response to news of the abductions, armed Kuki militants fired shots in the Kangchup area, spanning Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts, injuring seven people, including two police officers and a woman.

Earlier in the day, security forces managed to rescue a 65-year-old man who was traveling with the abducted group comprising two men and two women. However, as of late Tuesday night, the whereabouts of the remaining four individuals remained unknown, as per police reports.

A senior police officer, who requested anonymity, explained, "Five Kuki people were traveling from Churachandpur to Kangpokpi, both Kuki-dominated districts. But they were allegedly intercepted and attacked by a group of Meiteis when they entered Imphal West, a Meitei-dominated district, on the border with Kangpokpi." While one of the five, an elderly man, was later recovered by security personnel with injuries, there was no trace of the other four.

The rescued man, identified as Manglun Haokip, was airlifted to a hospital in Dimapur, Nagaland, on Tuesday evening. Kangpokpi Superintendent of Police (SP) M Prabhakar stated, "Our teams are conducting searches on the ground to rescue the other four."

The four persons who were abducted have been identified as Nengkim (60), Neilam (55), John Thangjam Haokip (25), and Jamkhotang (40).

Officials familiar with the matter noted that three of the abducted individuals are relatives of a serving Indian army soldier currently stationed outside the state. Army officials in Manipur also engaged with the police on Tuesday, urging a prompt investigation to locate the four missing residents.

Condemning the incident, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a Kuki group, called on central security forces to initiate an operation to rescue the four missing persons. The ITLF accused Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei organization, of being responsible for the abduction and emphasized that all five individuals are Kukis. The group expressed fears that they might have been killed or subjected to torture and urged immediate action by central security forces.

In response to the abductions, Kuki "volunteers" reportedly fired at the "Meitei side," causing injuries to police officers and others. The police officer declined to be named but stated that the incident occurred early on Tuesday afternoon, and those injured were admitted to hospitals for treatment.

Notably, the Manipur police have raised suspicions that these two Meitei teenagers may have been killed by members of the militant outfit Kuki Revolutionary Army (U), although their bodies have not been found, and their whereabouts remain unknown.