SAA event in India on Sun 1st September 2024

Manipur which has been grappling with ethnic tensions and witnessed large-scale violence last year, recorded a fresh round of violence on Sunday (1st September 2024). As per reports, on Sunday afternoon, armed insurgents opened indiscriminate fire and dropped a bomb on a house using a drone. In the attack, they fatally shot a 31-year-old Meitei woman and severely injured her 8-year-old daughter as well as three others. The assailants are suspected to be Kuki insurgents. Reportedly, one police commando was injured in the bombing incident. 

The firing incident took place in Imphal West district which shares a border with the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. According to officials, it all unfolded at around 2 PM near the border between Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts. Notably, Imphal West is dominated by the Meitei community while Kukis are a majority in Kangpokpi.

The deceased Meitei woman has been identified as Ngangbam Surbala. She was hit on her head while her 8-year-old daughter was hit in her right arm. The victims were at their homes when the firing and bombings began. It is said that the assailants opened fire from the nearby hills.