Manipur unrest: Six houses torched in Jiribam; woman allegedly shot and burned to death

Several houses in a Hmar tribal village were torched in the Jiribam district bordering Assam

Armed extremists allegedly shot, captured, and burned a tribal woman to death apart from torching at least a dozen houses in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Thursday (November 7, 2024) night.

The attack on Zairawn, a Hmar tribal village, pointed to a return to violence in Manipur after a brief lull. Hmars are ethnically related to the Kuki-Zo people, caught in conflict with the non-tribal Meitei community in the State since May 3, 2023.

Police officials said the extremists attacked the village, about 7 km from district headquarters Jiribam, at around 9 p.m. A gunfight ensued for about an hour.

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The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo organisation, claimed the attackers shot and captured Zosangkim Hmar, a 31-year-old woman and mother of three children from the village, before burning her alive.

“Zosangkim was hit by a bullet in the thigh when the shooting began, said her husband, Ngurthansang. Zosangkim was a teacher at the local Hermon Dew English Junior High School,” the ITLF said in a statement.

The ITLF also quoted Ngurthansang as saying that the assailants let him leave with his elderly parents and three children, aged between four and eight years, but refused to let him take along his wife.

The organisation further said the charred body of the woman was recovered inside the family’s home on Friday (November 8, 2024) morning.

“The attackers also killed some dogs and took away seven two-wheelers…Seventeen houses and three stores were burned down during the attack,” the ITLF said.

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The police confirmed the gunfight and arson. “We do not have any report on any death in the attack. We are investigating to find out,” a senior officer said.

In a video on social media platforms, some women can be seen carrying the “charred remains” of the woman. Officials said a team of forensic experts has been sent to the village to ascertain.

Manipur’s ethnic violence has claimed the lives of 250 people and displaced at least 60,000 others since May 2023.

Published - November 08, 2024 11:26 am IST