Armed militants target schoolchildren in Manipur playground attack

The assailants, armed with sophisticated weaponry, opened fire on the unsuspecting children, an event captured in a chilling viral video circulating on social media.

| Updated: 15 February, 2024 12:45 pm IST

IMPHAL: A harrowing incident unfolded on Tuesday at the Santipur-Pukhao playground near the Irilbung river, as armed militants took aim at seven schoolchildren engaged in a game of football, narrowly avoiding tragedy.

The assailants, armed with sophisticated weaponry, opened fire on the unsuspecting children, an event captured in a chilling viral video circulating on social media.

In the heart-stopping footage, the boys sought shelter in a nearby ditch as sniper bullets whizzed by, miraculously avoiding injury despite the perilous situation.

The day’s events witnessed protracted gun battles in Santipur-Pukhao, exacerbating tensions between Kuki Chin Zo militants and Meitei Village defense volunteers in Imphal East district, Manipur.

According to reports, casualties occurred on both sides, with three Meitei volunteers sustaining gunshot wounds amid the intense clashes.

The ongoing violence underscores the deep-seated animosities between the predominantly Meitei-inhabited Imphal East district and the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district.

Santipur-Pukhao, situated near Khamenlok, has emerged as a flashpoint for ethnic conflicts. Since May 3 of the previous year, Manipur has been ensnared in unrelenting turmoil, claiming over two hundred lives and displacing over 60,000 people who seek refuge in makeshift camps. The situation remains critical, underscoring the urgent imperative for resolution and stability in the region.