An elderly man who was offering prayers was killed in a rocket-propelled bomb attack by Kuki insurgents in Manipur's Moirang town today, the police said. Five others including a 13-year-old girl were injured in the attack on the lakeside town in Bishnupur district, 35 km from the state capital Imphal. She is the second minor injured in drone and rocket attacks in the last five days by Kuki insurgents.
Today's rocket struck the house of Manipur's first Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng Singh, just 100 metres away from the Indian National Army (INA) Museum in the heart of Moirang town, on the banks of the northeast's largest freshwater lake Loktak.
The INA Museum is dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; Moirang town is where the INA flag was first unfurled on April 14, 1944 on Indian territory. Mairembam Koireng Singh was a freedom fighter and part of the INA. He went to jail after World War II and later became Chief Minister of Manipur.
Sources said the INA Museum was the likely target of the rocket attack. Residents said the rocket came from the direction of the hills.
The elderly man from the Meitei community, RK Rabei, 78, was offering prayers when shrapnel from the rocket hit his head, neighbours said. He died on the spot, with blood dripping on the floor near the prayer items such as leaves and fruit he had assembled. He wore a white khudei (a dhoti-like cloth of the Meiteis) and a white shawl.
The Manipur government has announced shutdown of all schools tomorrow due to the rocket and drone threats.
Moirang town in Manipur's Bishnupur district is home to the northeast's largest freshwater lake Loktak
This was the second rocket attack today by Kuki insurgents in the same district, after two rockets were fired this morning from an elevated position in the nearby hills in neighbouring Churachandpur district, dominated by the Kuki tribes, the police said. No one was injured in the morning attack, though two structures were damaged, the police said.
The range of the rockets that hit the valley area this morning was estimated to be over 3 km, the police said.
The police said Kuki insurgents also fired several rounds from the hills towards Bishnupur district, prompting security forces to retaliate.
On Thursday night, residents in Kumbi village near Tronglaobi reported seeing multiple drones.
Two people were killed and nine including a 12-year-old girl were injured in firing and drone attacks by “suspected Kuki insurgents” on Sunday. The injured girl was the daughter of one of the two who was shot in the head. Another three were injured in a drone bomb attack in Manipur’s Senjam Chirang on Monday.
Top intelligence sources have confirmed the use of weaponised drones and long-range sniper rifles in the attack on Koutruk village on Sunday.
Sunday's attack was also the first recorded use of drones to drop bombs on civilians by suspected insurgents in India.
In Imphal valley, people came out in protests demanding swift military action against the Kuki insurgents who are hiding in fortified bunkers in the hills.