Imphal : Ahead of Independence Day 2023, a Manipuri Muslim was shot at by unknown armed men after being abducted in the early hours of Monday, official sources said. Md Abdul Latif, alias Ningthem, 54, was reportedly abducted by the armed men from his residence at Kwakta village in Bishnupur district on Sunday morning.

He was shot by the gunmen in his right calf at a place at Lilong Haoreibi Turen Ahanbi under the Lilong police station in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Monday at around 12.30 am.

The actions of the armed men have happened at a time when security has been beefed up across violence-affected Manipur ahead of Independence Day. The police cordoned off the area where the Muslim man was shot at and over 30 persons of the locality were detained, the police said.

The injured man was rushed to the Noor Hospital, Lingong where he was given medical treatments, hospital sources said. The cause of the abduction and shooting at is under investigation now, the police said.

No one so far claims responsibility for the shooting at so far. Notably, over 9 underground outfits based in Manipur Valley boycotted the Independence Day to be held on August 15. In the meantime, the Manipur police informed that security forces have been conducting search operations in vulnerable and sensitive areas of the state.