Imphal, July 29: A shooting incident in Noney district on Wednesday resulted in the death of a member of the Naga Village Guard (NVG) and left five others injured. Among the injured are two personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Cobra Battalion.
According to officials, the incident occurred in the predominantly Naga village of Bityang. Security forces were conducting operations in the area when armed village volunteers opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire between both sides.
In Manipur, village volunteers from different communities are essentially armed civilians who protect their areas from enemy attacks. These volunteer groups emerged in various parts of the state following ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023.
Police officials reported that one village volunteer was killed in the shooting, while three others sustained injuries. Two CRPF personnel were also injured due to shrapnel during the encounter. Authorities confirmed that the injured security personnel received medical treatment.
Following the incident, local tribal community members protested against the security operations conducted by the CRPF in and around the villages.
The Working Committee of JTC-Manipur (Inphui, Liangmai, Rongmei, and Jeme) announced on Wednesday that all national highways, railway projects, and national projects passing through the territories of the four Naga communities would be immediately and urgently shut down.
In a statement, the committee claimed that this shutdown was called in response to the abduction and murder of six Naga citizens on May 13 and the alleged attack on the Naga volunteer groups (NVG) in Bityang village on the same day.
The organization accused the Cobra team and the Jeliangrong United Front (JUF) of being involved in the attack and demanded the arrest of those responsible, the cessation of operations against Naga villages, and the restoration of justice.
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