Manipur violence: One beheaded, three shot dead

One person has been beheaded and three others were shot dead by rival groups in Manipur where communal violence continue unabatedly since May 3. The situation in Manipur remained volatile on Sunday after a man, identified as David Thiek was killed and beheaded in Langza – a Hmar-Kuki village – in Churachandpur district. As per locals, several village residents fled after attack began in Langza. However, a few village volunteers stayed back. Thiek was one of the volunteers who was killed during the attack. A resident informed that Langza has around 23-24 villages and they were asked by Hmar chief to vacate the houses and take important documents after rival groups started burning houses. “However, to prevent our houses from getting looted, we had kept three to four young men to guard the villages,” he added. Also, three people, identified as Ningombam Ibomcha (34), Naorem Rajkumar (26) and Haobam Ibocha (44), were killed in an incident of firing in Khoijumantabi’s Bishnupur district in the valley, at the border with the hill district of Churachandpur. Police said the incident took place when “armed miscreants coming from adjoining hills fired at the village volunteers” who were stationed in Khoijumantabi hills. With the recent deaths, the total number of people killed since the start of Manipur violence has gone up to at least 137. Five more people were injured in the bloodiest clash on Sunday after which the Bishnupur district administration in Manipur slashed the curfew-relaxation period there from 12 hours to a five-hour window of 5 am - 10 am. National Highway blocked for two months reopens Meanwhile, Kuki rebel groups announced they would lift the two-month-long blockade of the national highway in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district. The reopening of NH-2 connecting Imphal with Dimapur in Nagaland would enable smooth flow of essential supplies that were hit since 3 May. In early June, the blockade was temporarily lifted after Union Home Minister Amit Shah made an appeal during his visit to the state. It was, however, reimposed a few days later when three people from the Kuki-Zomi community were killed in Kangpokpi district on June 9. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.