A woman from the Kuki community was killed during a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki militants in Chingphei village, Churachandpur district, on Thursday.Earlier that day, a Meitei farmer was injured in a gun attack in nearby Phubala village, Bishnupur district. The incident has once again raised ethnic tensions in the area and led to protests from both Meitei and Kuki groups.
Officials said the firing started around 3:30 p.m. Armed attackers hiding in nearby hills fired at farmers working in the fields of Phubala village, which lies near the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border.
In response, security forces began a search operation in Chingphei village. During the gunfight, a woman named Hoikholhing Haokip, wife of Langchingmanbi village chief, was hit by a stray bullet. She was taken to Churachandpur District Hospital but died from her injuries.
Tensions remain high in the region.