Imphal |  A 40-year-old woman was killed and two others injured in fresh firing at Taphou Kuki village along the Senapati-Kangpokpi district boundary on Thursday morning, triggering panic among residents and disrupting paddy harvesting in the area.

According to a police report, the firing took place around 11 am. Kimneineng Chongloi, wife of Thanggou Chongloi and a resident of Taphou village, sustained bullet injuries and died at the spot. The two injured persons were identified as Sehngam Chongloi, alias David, and Lamkhochon Chongloi, both residents of the same village. They also suffered bullet injuries in the incident.

The firing reportedly broke out while villagers were harvesting paddy in their fields. As gunshots rang out, farmers abandoned their work and fled to safer locations. Reports indicated that gunfire continued in the area even after the initial incident.

Amid the heightened tension, villagers reportedly cautioned commuters against travelling along the affected stretch of National Highway-2 (NH-2), advising them to avoid non-essential journeys.

Fresh violence amid lingering tensions

Thursday’s firing comes days after tensions escalated over the killing of two Kuki youths from Taphou Kuki village, whose bodies were recovered after they went missing on October 28. Paoginlal Hangsing, 20, and Tinginlun Chongloi, 20, were found dead on November 1 during search operations. Their bodies were recovered from an area east of NH-2 along SP Road.

The killings triggered protests in Kangpokpi. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) refused to claim the bodies until the government addressed its charter of demands. A major point of contention has been the jurisdiction of the area where the bodies were recovered. CoTU has demanded that the area be transferred from Senapati Police Station to Kangpokpi district, alongside demands for a thorough investigation into the killings and improved security arrangements.

The jurisdictional dispute has continued to fuel tensions in and around Taphou Kuki.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh had visited the village a few days before Thursday’s firing amid efforts by the authorities to ease the situation. Further details of the latest incident were awaited.