A village volunteer was killed in a gunfight between two warring communities in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, officials said on Thursday.

The shootout took place on Wednesday night after suspected militants launched an attack on Kangchup from the adjoining hill areas, prompting village volunteers in low-lying locality to retaliate, they said.

The incident was among a series of gunfights that broke out at several places in Imphal Valley and hill areas on Wednesday night.

Following the killing, women in large numbers held a rally in Imphal on Thursday to protest against violence in the state and demanded the removal of the chairman of the inter-agency Unified Command.

Kuldiep Singh was appointed to the post of chairman of the Unified Command of the state and central forces in May last year by the Manipur governor.

The women protesters took out the rally from the main market area of Imphal and marched towards the CM Bungalow and the Raj Bhavan.

They were stopped around 300 metres from the Raj Bhavan, leading to a confrontation between women protesters and security personnel.

Policemen fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob, the officials said.

The demonstration by women was staged after T Manoranjan, the village volunteer, was killed in the Kangchup gunfight on Wednesday night.

According to the officials, a series of gunfights were reported from Phayeng, Kadangband and Koutruk in Imphal West district, at Sagolmang in Imphal East, Sinam Kom in Kangpokpi and Irengbam in Bishnupur.

Security forces rushed to the spots and tried to control the situation, the officials said, adding that several people have been reported injured in these shootouts.

Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year and over 180 people were killed.

The violence erupted on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

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