On 4th December, 13 Meiteis were brutally murdered in an ambush in the village Leithao of district Tengnoupal in Manipur. The incident took place in the area that Kukis dominate. The Assam Rifles launched an operation following intelligence inputs about the firefight. They recovered the dead bodies of Meiteis from the region. No weapons were recovered near the dead bodies.
The incident occurred just a day after the Kuki-Zo tribal groups in the Tengnoupal district welcomed the Peace Agreement between the Meitei Militant Faction UNLF (Pambei) and the Government of India. However, they opposed the proposal to establish camps for surrendered militants in Kuki-Zo tribal areas.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Manipur Police said, “On 04.12.2023, in a gunfight between unknown armed miscreants at Leithao village near Saibol in Tengnoupal District under Machi Police Station, 13 (thirteen) persons have been killed. District police and security forces rushed to the spot, a case was registered, and an investigation was underway.”
On 04.12.2023, in a gunfight between unknown armed miscreants at Leithao village near Saibol in Tengnoupal District under Machi Police Station, 13 (thirteen) persons have been killed. District police and security forces rushed to the spot, a case has been registered and…
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) December 4, 2023
The bodies were taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East. On 5th December, the security agencies were able to identify all 13. Initially, there were reports that the deceased were militants who entered India from Myanmar. However, investigation revealed they were locals from Bishnupur, Imphal West, Imphal East and Kakching. It is unclear in what circumstances they reached the location where they were killed. All the deceased were between the ages of 17 and 47.
13 Meitei youth lost their lives in a brutal attack on December 4th in Leithao village, Tengnoupal district, near the Burmese border.
— Ritika Chandola (@RitikaChandola) December 5, 2023
However, misinformation is circulating falsely claiming that these individuals were Meitei terrorists from #Myanmar which is entirely untrue.… pic.twitter.com/I9RJPQK02f
One of the victim’s sisters talked to Indian Express about the incident. 25-year-old Thingom Rocky Singh was killed in the incident. His younger sister Thingom Rosy said her family was displaced from Torbung, one of the places where violence erupted on 4th May. They were living in a relief camp in Thangmeiband of Imphal West. Soon after shifting to the relief camp, Singh left and has not seen his family since. She said, “He sought blessing from my mother to be victorious and fight for our motherland before leaving. We spoke over the phone several days back; he said he wanted to meet me and mother.”
39-year-old Moiragnthem Kingson Singh also died in the incident. His elder sister, Moirangthem Chaoba, said he had often left home to help those in need since the violence erupted. The family learned about the incident from social media.
She said, “After we came to know that one of the victims was from the Khurai area, our family tried calling my brother, but his phone was switched off. We contacted some of his friends to ask about his whereabouts. They said Kingson and some volunteers move around frequently, helping people affected by the conflict. I prayed that my brother wasn’t part of the group. Unfortunately, our worst nightmare came true after we visited the morgue. I was speechless and shocked after seeing his body.”
Another victim, 43-year-old Oinam Loken Singh’s brother Oinam Ratan, said his brother left a week ago to volunteer or look for work.
The incident was the highest single-day toll reported in six months. Notably, the situation in Leithao village was relatively peaceful since the tension in the state erupted on 3rd May 2023. The security forces were not posted in the town due to negligible reports of incidents before the 4th December attack. The nearest security post is in Saibol, 10 KM from Leithao village.
Villagers claimed the slain individuals attacked them
The villagers have claimed that the 13 who got killed were part of a group of 20 attackers that entered the village on 4th December. The defence volunteers of the town had a firefight with the attackers, leading to the death of 13 while the other seven fled the scene.
Jamkhogin Lupho, secretary of the Leithao village, said, “After the security forces left on Monday night, all the villagers fled. They are all staying with their relatives in Chehlep, Phalbung village, and Tengnoupal. We request security forces to come and guard our villages. The militants will again come to attack us.”
He added, “We want a permanent post of the Assam Rifles in the village. On the map, the Assam Rifles camp at Saibol and the temporary one at Bongmol appear near our village, but it is difficult for them to reach the village on time if there is any emergency. There is no proper road connecting our village. Before the shooting happened, the militants also ransacked the houses. Many people were out working in the fields when they entered the village. From my house alone, they fled with nearly Rs 45,000.”
The state of Manipur has been experiencing ethnic violence that erupted at several places in Manipur on May 3 during protests by tribal groups against the demand for ST status by the Meitei community.
