Imphal, Dec 25 (ANI): In a recent incident, villagers of Nongbrang in Manipur chased a group of militants suspected to belong to the Kuki National Front (President) and lynched two of them.

The militants reportedly came to extort money, first launched an attack on villagers, injuring three of them.

Twenty suspected Kuki militants swooped down on the village under Yairipok police station and fired at a group of villagers holding a meeting against extortion, assault and threats by suspected cadres of the group.

Three women were injured in the incident.

While a section of villagers took the injured women to a hospital, another group gave chase to catch the attackers.

They caught two of the cadres beat them to death.

According to Yairipok Police Inspector D Enouba “We received an information that some Kuki militants have threatened the supporters of Nongbrum villagers and resorted to fire. In the firing, three women of the villagers were injured. They have been taken to Shija hospital for medical treatment.”

The villagers said the militants who came in vehicles fired on to people before driving away.

The Kuki militants have been extorting money from vehicles passing through the area, shops and even from residents.

When the villagers and shopkeepers failed to pay up, the militants assaulted them and also took away belongings like mobile phones in the past few days.

“We won’t take all this harassment anymore. We won’t hide anymore. We are working day after day to earn our livelihoods. But all they do is demand money by threatening us. That is why we have reacted, the way we had,” said Rabei Singh a villager.

Nongbrang is primarily a non-Kuki inhabited village. Fearing a reprisal from the militant groups, some villagers fled their homes after the incident.

But, this incident clearly indicates people’s resentment and anger against militants. (ANI)