Prohibitory restrictions have been clamped on Manipur's Kamjong district following a severe outbreak of violence triggered by the fatal shooting of a local woman on Friday night.
The deceased, identified as Domkhonei Touthang, a mother of five children, was shot in the neck around 9:35 PM during a demonstration protesting the arrest of village volunteers in the Kuki-majority Chassad village. She succumbed to her wounds within minutes. The Kuki Human Rights Forum has alleged that the fatal round was fired by security forces.
The incident instantly sparked a fresh wave of ethnic hostilities. Armed groups from the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities clashed violently, trading heavy gunfire that continued into Saturday morning.
Retaliatory attacks saw multiple houses set ablaze in Chassad and Kamjong headquarters, forcing panic-stricken families to flee.
To prevent further escalation, the District Magistrate clamped prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, banning assemblies of five or more people within a 400-metre radius of the Chassad Police Gate Junction.
Additional security forces have been rushed to the area to bring the situation under control.