Violence in Manipur escalates as elderly Meitei man killed, four Kuki militants shot dead

The latest violence occurred in the villages of Serou, Moljol, Rashidpur, and Nungchappi in Jiribam district, near southern Assam, with intermittent firing continuing until 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Imphal: Violence continued in strife-torn Manipur for the second day on Saturday after an elderly Meitei community resident was killed and in ‘retaliation’ four Kuki militants were gunned down in the Jiribam district.

The fresh incident of violence took place in Serou, Moljol, Rashidpur and Nungchappi villages in Jiribam district, adjoining southern Assam.

Intermittent firing continued until 10 am on Saturday.

The situation remains extremely tense as the Jiribam district is the new region of armed hostilities further escalating the ethnic conflict between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo communities.

A huge contingent of Assam Rifles, other Central Armed Police Force personnel and Manipur police commandos have rushed to all the places where fresh incidents of violence took place since Saturday morning.

Details of all the Saturday’s incidents are awaited.

A police official said that since Tuesday, the suspected Kuki militants started attacking different areas of the Jiribam district, during which an elderly Meitei resident was killed while the victim was sleeping.

He said in “retaliation”, four Kuki militants were gunned down.

However, there is no clarity from the police who conducted the “retaliatory attack”.

Kuki tribal leaders claimed that the slain cadres were not militants; they were “Village Volunteers”.

The Manipur government on Friday ordered the closure of all educational institutions across the state on Saturday, and asked the security forces to remain on high alert and also intensify their counter-insurgency operations, hours after an elderly man was killed while six others sustained injuries as suspected militants lobbed a powerful bomb at the house of former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng in Bishnupur district.

On Friday, a 78-year-old man was killed and six others sustained injuries as suspected Kuki militants targeted former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng’s residence in Bishnupur district by lobbing a “powerful bomb”.

According to police, the bomb which was lobbed from a long range fell on the compound of former Chief Minister Koireng’s residence, killing the elderly man on the spot. Koireng and his family members were not in the house during the bomb attack.

The deceased, identified as R.K. Rabei was preparing for some local religious ceremony when the bomb exploded. Six others, including a 13-year-old girl, suffered splinter injuries and were shifted to the hospital.

The “powerful bomb”, which was detonated remotely, fell at a spot that is around a few km from the Indian National Army (INA) headquarters, where on April 14, 1944, Lt Col Shaukat Ali of the INA hoisted the Tricolour for the first time on Indian soil under the guidance of INA Supreme Commander Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Combined security forces have destroyed three separate bunkers at Mualsang and at Laika Mualsau village of Churachandpur district.

Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General rank police officials have been camping in the tension-ridden districts.

A military chopper has also been deployed to conduct aerial patrolling.