Imphal/New Delhi:
An aged man who was providing prayers was killed in a rocket-propelled bomb assault by Kuki insurgents in Manipur’s Moirang city at present, the police stated. 5 others together with a 13-year-old woman had been injured within the assault on the lakeside city in Bishnupur district, 35 km from the state capital Imphal. She is the second minor injured in drone and rocket assaults within the final 5 days by Kuki insurgents.
Right this moment’s rocket struck the home of Manipur’s first Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng Singh, simply 100 metres away from the Indian Nationwide Military (INA) Museum within the coronary heart of Moirang city, on the banks of the northeast’s largest freshwater lake Loktak.
The INA Museum is devoted to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; Moirang city is the place the INA flag was first unfurled on April 14, 1944 on Indian territory. Mairembam Koireng Singh was a freedom fighter and a part of the INA. He went to jail after World Struggle II and later grew to become Chief Minister of Manipur.
Sources stated the INA Museum was the doubtless goal of the rocket assault. Residents stated the rocket got here from the route of the hills.
The aged man from the Meitei neighborhood, RK Rabei, 78, was providing prayers when shrapnel from the rocket hit his head, neighbours stated. He died on the spot, with blood dripping on the ground close to the prayer objects equivalent to leaves and fruit he had assembled. He wore a white khudei (a dhoti-like material of the Meiteis) and a white scarf.
The Manipur authorities has introduced shutdown of all faculties tomorrow because of the rocket and drone threats.
This was the second rocket assault at present by Kuki insurgents in the identical district, after two rockets had been fired this morning from an elevated place within the close by hills in neighbouring Churachandpur district, dominated by the Kuki tribes, the police stated. Nobody was injured within the morning assault, although two buildings had been broken, the police stated.
The vary of the rockets that hit the valley space this morning was estimated to be over 3 km, the police stated.
The police stated Kuki insurgents additionally fired a number of rounds from the hills in the direction of Bishnupur district, prompting safety forces to retaliate.
On Thursday evening, residents in Kumbi village close to Tronglaobi reported seeing a number of drones.
Two folks had been killed and 9 together with a 12-year-old woman had been injured in firing and drone assaults by “suspected Kuki insurgents” on Sunday. The injured woman was the daughter of one of many two who was shot within the head. One other three had been injured in a drone bomb assault in Manipur’s Senjam Chirang on Monday.
Prime intelligence sources have confirmed using weaponised drones and long-range sniper rifles within the assault on Koutruk village on Sunday.
Sunday’s assault was additionally the primary recorded use of drones to drop bombs on civilians by suspected insurgents in India.
In Imphal valley, folks got here out in protests demanding swift army motion towards the Kuki insurgents who’re hiding in fortified bunkers within the hills.