<p>Guwahati: Unidentified miscreants shot dead a truck driver from West Bengal and injured a police personnel in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/manipur">Manipur's </a>Ukhrul district on Friday when security forces tried to remove blockade on a stretch of NH-202 put up by protesters belonging to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/manipur/after-meiteis-now-nagas-demand-abrogation-of-truce-with-kuki-armed-group-in-manipur-4010234">Kuki community.</a></p> <p>Kuki organisations said that a woman protester received bullet injury on her head while several others were injured when security forces clashed and used tear gas shells targetting the nearby houses. </p> <p>The driver, Nitish Kumar, 57, hailing from Hoogly district of West Bengal, was carrying food items on his truck belonging to Food Corporation of India, Manipur police said in a statement on Friday night. </p> <p>Police, however, said armed miscreants belonging to Kuki community opened fire at the convoy escorting trucks of FCI and IOCL carrying LPG, which remained stranded due to the blockade. </p> .Recent killing derailed fresh peace process: Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh . <p>Kumar died on his seat while the police personnel sustained bullet injury in the ambush carried out between Leingangching and TM Kasom village under Litan police station. The area have remained tense due to sporadic incidents of violence involving the Naga and Kuki communities since February. Several persons belonging to both the communities have been killed in the area. </p> <p>Ukhrul is a Naga-dominated district but the areas under Litan police station has Kuki settlements, adjacent to the highway. </p> <p>Kuki organisations said the villagers were staging a protest against the killing of three church leaders allegedly by the Nagas in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district and subsequent abduction of 14 Kuki villagers on May 13. </p> <p>Nagas have also been agitating against the killing of a person and demanding release of six men, who were allegedly abducted by the Kukis on May 13. </p> <p>Condemning the incident, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday afternoon said the ambush on the good vehicle was carried out by unknown armed miscreants having "vested interest and the ill-motives" to derail the initiatives of the state government to restore peace and normalcy in the state.</p>.Manipur hostages: Church leaders join peace efforts as Nagas and Kukis enforce blockade.<p>"Ambushing goods vehicle and taking life of a driver, who plays a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential items across the state is one of the most cowardly acts and intends to further aggravate the tense situation prevailing in the area," Singh said in a statement. <br></p><p>He said combing operations were underway in search of the assailants. </p> <p>Manipur has remained roiled by Meitei-Kuki conflict since May 2023. But violence involving the Nagas and Kukis since February has added to the worry of the security forces and the government. </p>
<p>Guwahati: Unidentified miscreants shot dead a truck driver from West Bengal and injured a police personnel in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/manipur">Manipur's </a>Ukhrul district on Friday when security forces tried to remove blockade on a stretch of NH-202 put up by protesters belonging to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/manipur/after-meiteis-now-nagas-demand-abrogation-of-truce-with-kuki-armed-group-in-manipur-4010234">Kuki community.</a></p> <p>Kuki organisations said that a woman protester received bullet injury on her head while several others were injured when security forces clashed and used tear gas shells targetting the nearby houses. </p> <p>The driver, Nitish Kumar, 57, hailing from Hoogly district of West Bengal, was carrying food items on his truck belonging to Food Corporation of India, Manipur police said in a statement on Friday night. </p> <p>Police, however, said armed miscreants belonging to Kuki community opened fire at the convoy escorting trucks of FCI and IOCL carrying LPG, which remained stranded due to the blockade. </p> .Recent killing derailed fresh peace process: Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh . <p>Kumar died on his seat while the police personnel sustained bullet injury in the ambush carried out between Leingangching and TM Kasom village under Litan police station. The area have remained tense due to sporadic incidents of violence involving the Naga and Kuki communities since February. Several persons belonging to both the communities have been killed in the area. </p> <p>Ukhrul is a Naga-dominated district but the areas under Litan police station has Kuki settlements, adjacent to the highway. </p> <p>Kuki organisations said the villagers were staging a protest against the killing of three church leaders allegedly by the Nagas in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district and subsequent abduction of 14 Kuki villagers on May 13. </p> <p>Nagas have also been agitating against the killing of a person and demanding release of six men, who were allegedly abducted by the Kukis on May 13. </p> <p>Condemning the incident, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday afternoon said the ambush on the good vehicle was carried out by unknown armed miscreants having "vested interest and the ill-motives" to derail the initiatives of the state government to restore peace and normalcy in the state.</p>.Manipur hostages: Church leaders join peace efforts as Nagas and Kukis enforce blockade.<p>"Ambushing goods vehicle and taking life of a driver, who plays a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential items across the state is one of the most cowardly acts and intends to further aggravate the tense situation prevailing in the area," Singh said in a statement. <br></p><p>He said combing operations were underway in search of the assailants. </p> <p>Manipur has remained roiled by Meitei-Kuki conflict since May 2023. But violence involving the Nagas and Kukis since February has added to the worry of the security forces and the government. </p>