Guwahati: Three people, including a woman, were killed after unidentified armed assailants launched an attack in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Friday.A police official said armed cadres belonging to an unidentified group attacked Loibol Khullen village. The assault was met with retaliation from another armed group, triggering a fierce exchange of fire between the rival factions that lasted for nearly half an hour. Three villagers, including a woman, were killed in the crossfire. The deceased have been identified as Letkhongam Haokip, his wife Tinmary Haokip, and Jangminlal Haokip. Following the incident, panic-stricken residents fled their homes and took shelter in nearby forested areas to escape the violence.The official further said, "Seven houses were reduced to ashes in the attack, while substantial damage was also inflicted on civilian properties in the village."Chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh condemned in the strongest terms the brutal attack on Loibol Khullen village in Kangpokpi district on Friday morning, which resulted in the deaths of three innocent civilians. Describing the act as heinous and cowardly, the CM said the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians was completely unacceptable and that the government would not spare those responsible for the barbaric attack. He directed the state police and central security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators at the earliest.Singh also condemned the fatal stabbing of Havildar Kh. Suresh Singh (4th IRB attached to CDO Thoubal) while on duty on June 3. He lauded the Thoubal District Police for promptly arresting the main accused. The CM extended his condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased police personnel.The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribal community in the state, strongly condemned the attack and demanded an immediate investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible. In a statement, KIM secretary (Information and Publicity) Janghaolun Haokip said the deliberate killing of innocent people and the destruction of homes and livelihoods constituted a grave violation of human dignity and fundamental human rights. "The deliberate targeting of civilians and the destruction of homes can never be justified under any circumstances," the statement said.