Imphal: A gunfight between two armed groups in Tengnoupal district on Friday morning resulted in at least one person being injured.
According to reliable sources, unidentified armed men, suspected to be Kuki-Zomi, initiated fresh firing at Penyang village, located approximately 30 km from Heirok police station under Machi sub-division, during the early hours. This action prompted armed village volunteers to respond in kind.
During the exchange of fire, 24-year-old Ningthoujam James Singh from Heirok Part II sustained a bullet injury to his left abdomen. He was quickly transported to a nearby private hospital in Imphal for treatment, where his condition is reported as stable.
The gunfight between the two armed groups continued for approximately one hour before additional security forces arrived at the scene to restore order. A combing operation was initiated to ensure the situation was under control.
In a separate incident, unidentified miscreants reportedly set fire to a sawmill owned by Mutum Ravi Singh (56) near Pallel in Kakching district at around 2.45 AM on Friday morning. The sawmill is located 200 meters from Pallel to Aimol road. Firefighters rushed to the scene to contain the blaze, but the mill suffered extensive damage.
Police are actively pursuing the perpetrators of the arson; however, the motive behind the attack on the mill remains unclear as of the time of this report.