Imphal: A volunteer of the Naga Village Guards (NVG) was killed and two CoBRA personnel were injured in a gunfight in Manipur’s Noney district on Wednesday.Official sources said a CoBRA team conducted an operation in Bitiang village in Noney district early in the morning, after which a gunfight erupted near Lamdangmei village around 6.30am.The injured personnel, identified as head constable Radhashyam and constable Jitendra Kumar of 207th Battalion CoBRA, were shifted to Imphal. Security forces are continuing operations in the area.The working committee of the Joint Tribes’ Council (JTC) Manipur has declared an immediate shutdown of all national highways, railways and national projects passing through the areas inhabited by the Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme communities. In a statement, the JTC said medical services, schools and colleges, PHED, electricity and telecommunication services would be exempted from the shutdown.The statement condemned “the unprovoked and cowardly attack launched by the CoBRA team, in collusion with Zeliangrong United Front-Jiangchui (ZUF-J) who has shamelessly betrayed its own Naga blood.”“This aggression against peace-loving Naga civilians, who have taken up arms only to protect their families and homelands in the absence of state protection, is a blatant act of state-sponsored terrorism that cannot and will not be tolerated,” it alleged. It further said the CoBRA team and their collaborators are attacking the people, while it alleged Kuki militants who killed six Naga civilians roam free with impunity.It added the shutdown will remain in full force until the Centre takes decisive and meaningful action to arrest the killers, cease all hostile operations against Naga villages and people, and restore justice.
