Manipur: Mother, Son Among 3 Killed After Ambulance Attacked By Mob And Set On Fire

In Manipur’s West Imphal district, an ambulance carrying an injured eight-year-old kid, his mother, and another relative was attacked by a mob and set fire, killing all three, according to officials.

The event happened on Sunday night in Iroisemba as the youngster was being transported to a hospital by his mother and a relative in Imphal after he was shot in the head during a shoot-out, they claimed.

Three have been identified as Tonsing Hangsing (8), his 45-year-old mother Meena Hangsing, and Lydia Lourembam, aged 37, the officials said.

Security has been increased in and near the incident camp, according to a senior Assam Rifles officer who confirmed the occurrence.

According to sources, Tonsing, a tribal member’s son, and his Meitei mother were residing in a Kangchup Assam Rifles relief camp.

He was wounded by a gunshot even though he was inside the camp on June 4 evening when a shootout broke out nearby.

“A senior Assam Rifles officer immediately spoke to police in Imphal and arranged for an ambulance. Since the mother was from the majority community, a decision was taken to take the kid to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal by road,” sources said.

For a few kilometres, the Assam Rifles escorted the ambulance before handing it up to the local police.

“Around 6:30 pm, the ambulance was waylaid by civilians at Isoisemba and set ablaze. All three in the vehicle were killed. We still do not know where the bodies are,” one of the sources added.

Many Kuki villages can be found in the Kangchup region, which is also adjacent to the Meitei village of Phayeng and shares a border with the Kangpokpi district of Imphal West. Since May 27, the region has experienced frequent gunfire exchanges as part of the second wave of unrest in the state.

After a “Tribal Solidarity March” was organised in the hill regions on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s quest for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, violent skirmishes broke out in the northeastern state.

The anxiety over the eviction of Kuki people from reserve forest area, which had sparked a number of smaller agitations, preceded the violence.

The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of Manipur’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. Nagas and Kukis, two tribes, make up

The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of Manipur’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. About 40% of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who live in the hill districts.

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