Bodies Of Three Women Discovered In Manipur's Jiribam Amid Ongoing Hostage Crisis

The discovery of three women's bodies in Assam's Silchar following a tense hostage situation in Manipur's Jiribam district has raised alarms. These women were reportedly taken hostage alongside three children by suspected Kuki militants. As the situation escalates, the unidentified bodies remain under examination at Silchar Medical College and Hospital, located about 50 kilometers from the site.

P24 News Media

November 15, 2024

1 minute

Bodies Of Three Women Discovered In Manipur's Jiribam Amid Ongoing Hostage Crisis

India

The recent discovery of three women's bodies in the Silchar Medical College morgue, located in Assam, has exacerbated tensions stemming from an ongoing hostage crisis in Manipur's Jiribam district. Reports indicate that these women, along with three children, were abducted by suspected Kuki militants earlier this week. Sources from the morgue informed NDTV that the identities of the deceased remain unknown. The bodies were transported to the facility around 7 PM on Friday, as autopsies are typically conducted at SMHC due to insufficient facilities in Jiribam. Among the children taken hostage are an infant and a toddler, with the mother of the younger children included in the group of women abducted. They all belong to the Meitei community. The abduction occurred in the Bokobera neighborhood while a separate group of militants was engaged in a gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), according to insider sources.

In a shocking turn of events, reports reveal that ten suspected Kuki militants were killed during the encounter. Laisharam Herojit, a government worker whose family was abducted, shared his distress during an NDTV interview, urging any group in possession of his loved ones to release them. Herojit recounted a frantic call from his wife, who described being surrounded by armed individuals before the call was abruptly cut off. Subsequent attempts to reconnect were futile as both her phone and that of his mother-in-law were switched off. Concern grew among family and friends as a mutual acquaintance claimed to have witnessed them being taken away on a boat.

The proximity of the police station and the CRPF camp near the Barak River in Borobekra heightens the local tension, with security forces stating they recovered significant weaponry from the encounter site, including AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. In contrast, Kuki tribes have alleged that those killed during the incident were merely "village volunteers," a claim that the CRPF and local police have refuted. As the investigation continues, the situation in Manipur remains precarious, and the local communities are deeply affected by the violence and ongoing uncertainty.