<p>After a lull of 13 days, suspected Meitei armed men gunned down three 'village volunteers' belonging to Kuki tribe, who were guarding their village in Naga-dominated Kamjong district of Manipur on Friday. </p><p>Police said the incident took place at a Kuki village named Thowai Kuki, when unidentified armed men entered the village at around 4.30 am and fired at the Kuki youths. Three died on the spot.</p><p>Police suspect involvement of Metei armed men from neighbouring Meitei-dominated districts like Imphal East or Thoubal. Thowai Kuki is under the police jurisdiction in Ukhrul, another Tangkhul Naga-dominated district, but falls under the revenue district of Kamjong, police said.</p>.Arms, ammunition recovered in Manipur as situation remains tense.<p>Police said the incident was related to the ongoing clashes and armed miscreants belonging to the Meitei community from the adjoining valley districts are suspected to be behind the attack. </p><p>Ukhrul SP Ninghshem Vashum, confirming the development said that security forces rushed to the spot but the miscreants had already fled. Combing operation was immediately launched in the area, he added. </p><p>The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), a Kuki organisation, said the three victims were 'village volunteers', who were sleeping inside a bunker set up to guard their village and thwart attack by the Meiteis. </p><p>"We request the central security forces to do more to protect the tribals, who are carrying single-shot guns, used by the tribals for hunting, to protect their homes from such attacks. The Meitei miscreants, on the other hand, carry sophisticated weapons and mortars which were stolen from police stations and armouries," the ITLF said.</p><p>The organisation identified the three victims as Hollenson Baite (24), Thangkhokai Haokip (35) and Jamkhogin Haokip (26). </p><p>"If the violence is to be stopped , the army and other central forces should start operations to retrieve looted weapons as the state police forces are fully compromised," the ITLF said.</p><p>On August 5, five persons, three Meiteis and two Kukis, were similarly killed in two separate attacks in Bishnupur and Churachandpur district, respectively. </p><p>There was a slight relief for many as no violence was reported in the last 13 days. But the fresh attack on Friday triggered fresh tension and left the security agencies worried again.</p><p>More than 150 people have been killed and 60,000 others have been displaced in the clashes between sections of the Meitei and Kuki community since May 3. However, Ukhrul and Kamjong have remained relatively peaceful. </p>
<p>After a lull of 13 days, suspected Meitei armed men gunned down three 'village volunteers' belonging to Kuki tribe, who were guarding their village in Naga-dominated Kamjong district of Manipur on Friday. </p><p>Police said the incident took place at a Kuki village named Thowai Kuki, when unidentified armed men entered the village at around 4.30 am and fired at the Kuki youths. Three died on the spot.</p><p>Police suspect involvement of Metei armed men from neighbouring Meitei-dominated districts like Imphal East or Thoubal. Thowai Kuki is under the police jurisdiction in Ukhrul, another Tangkhul Naga-dominated district, but falls under the revenue district of Kamjong, police said.</p>.Arms, ammunition recovered in Manipur as situation remains tense.<p>Police said the incident was related to the ongoing clashes and armed miscreants belonging to the Meitei community from the adjoining valley districts are suspected to be behind the attack. </p><p>Ukhrul SP Ninghshem Vashum, confirming the development said that security forces rushed to the spot but the miscreants had already fled. Combing operation was immediately launched in the area, he added. </p><p>The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), a Kuki organisation, said the three victims were 'village volunteers', who were sleeping inside a bunker set up to guard their village and thwart attack by the Meiteis. </p><p>"We request the central security forces to do more to protect the tribals, who are carrying single-shot guns, used by the tribals for hunting, to protect their homes from such attacks. The Meitei miscreants, on the other hand, carry sophisticated weapons and mortars which were stolen from police stations and armouries," the ITLF said.</p><p>The organisation identified the three victims as Hollenson Baite (24), Thangkhokai Haokip (35) and Jamkhogin Haokip (26). </p><p>"If the violence is to be stopped , the army and other central forces should start operations to retrieve looted weapons as the state police forces are fully compromised," the ITLF said.</p><p>On August 5, five persons, three Meiteis and two Kukis, were similarly killed in two separate attacks in Bishnupur and Churachandpur district, respectively. </p><p>There was a slight relief for many as no violence was reported in the last 13 days. But the fresh attack on Friday triggered fresh tension and left the security agencies worried again.</p><p>More than 150 people have been killed and 60,000 others have been displaced in the clashes between sections of the Meitei and Kuki community since May 3. However, Ukhrul and Kamjong have remained relatively peaceful. </p>