Manipur CM Ibobi Singh Gets Fired At By Militants But Escapes Unhurt

As Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad today, suspected militants opened gunfire, said CID officials. The chief minister escaped unhurt, but a jawan of the Manipur Rifles got injured in the firing.

Because of the firing, the chief minister’s helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land in that village due to protests, reported Business Line. He then flew right back to the state capital, Imphal, and called for an emergency cabinet meeting.

Civil society groups had put up a road blockade and called for a curfew on the three-kilometre road stretching from the helipad to Hunphung, where Singh was to inaugurate the new Ukhrul district hospital, because of violence that occurred before Singh’s visit. Besides vehicles being set ablaze, two militants suspected to be from the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) hurled two hand grenades in the area last night, as a result of which a jawan of the Indian Reserve Battalion sustained splinter injuries.