Kuki militants carried out an attack on Meitei villagers who were sand mining at an intervening area of Tumukhong and Nongdam Tangkhul in Imphal East at around 1 pm on Tuesday.
As per sources, the vehicles of the Meiteis used for sand mining were saved by Tangkhul villagers from being set ablaze by the Kukis.
The incident unfolded in Maphou Down Stream after some Kuki miscreants fired gunshots from Molham side towards Tumukhong villagers while sand mining at Tumulok area. The Kukis then came down to Tumulok area and fired gunshots at a Tata DI and it destroyed some parts of the body and tyres.
Villagers of Nongdam Tangkhul village opposed the Kukis from destroying the vehicles and agitated Kukis went back to the hills. Soon after that the Kukis started firing gunshots at Tumukhong Meitei village. A team of Imphal east police commandos rushed to the area on hearing the news.
A viral video on social media showed three sand laden trucks unable to move from the river banks as their tyres were shot and punctured by bullets.
It was also claimed that the turck was partly unloaded. The man in the video said that he had tried to stop the miscreants from firing their weapon as it was Tangkhuls' vehicles. But the incident escalated.
As the man in the video spoke, showing the damage done by miscreants, the windshield on one of the three trucks bore bullet holes, oil spills were seen. The trucks were rendered to a stop as tyres were shot and punctured.
Bullet casings from several rounds of weapon which seems to be fired from an assault rifle were also seen lying on the ground near the trucks. The bullet casing was allegedly fired upon the trucks, the man in the viral video said.
