Imphal: A woman was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside a school in Manipur’s Imphal West district on Thursday morning, officials said.
They said she had gone near the school at Kwakeithel Mayai Koibi under Lamphel police station on some work but was not connected with any school.
The incident occurred a day after classes 1 to 8 began in the state after two months because of the violence.
Following the killing, a tribal organisation demanded imposition of President’s Rule in the northeastern state.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) identified the woman as Donngaihching, a mentally ill person who lived on alms provided by locals.
“We again urge the central government to relieve the incapable state government and impose President’s Rule immediately,” the ITLF said in a statement.
Intermittent gunfire was heard in a village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district early Thursday, hours after security forces thwarted clashes when men armed with automatic weapons began to attack villagers, sources said.
The incident took place around 3.40 pm on Wednesday near Phaileng village, they said. Armed groups from nearby areas gathered in the area, thereby escalating tensions, the sources said.
About 1,000-1,500 women blocked roads to prevent additional forces from reaching the area, they said. However, the situation was brought under control because of the deployment of Assam Rifles personnel in the area.
More than 100 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
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Around 40,000 central security personnel, besides the Manipur Police, have been deployed to control the violence and bring back normalcy in the state.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
Also read | Manipur violence: 2 armed groups come face to face in Kangpokpi