A video journalist was injured in firing from the Kuki-Zo majority hills while reporting on the ongoing violence in Thamnapokpi village in Imphal East district on Saturday afternoon.

L Kabichandra, associated with a local TV channel, was hit in his left thigh and was rushed to a hospital in Imphal. His condition is stated to be stable.

The video journalist’s injury brings the total number of wounded since Friday to three.

A policeman and a village volunteer were injured in Meitei-majority Imphal East district during a gun battle with suspected Kuki-Zo miscreants from the Kangpokpi hill side on Friday afternoon. Both of them are stated to be stable.

Firing from the hills in Kuki-Zo majority Kangpkpi district affected at least four peripheral villages since December 25, reports from Imphal said.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh had on Friday strongly condemned the “indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East, which injured civilians and security personnel”.

He said the “cowardly and unprovoked attack on innocent lives is an assault on peace and harmony”.

“Adequate security personnel have been rushed to the affected areas. The injured are receiving necessary medical assistance, and the government calls for calm and unity in the face of such challenges,” Singh said.