Renewed violence grips Manipur; security personnel sustain injuries
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah will embark on his three-day visit to violence-hit Manipur today to resolve the ongoing crisis.
In anticipation of the visit by Home Minister Amit Shah to the state marred by violence, a new clash erupted in Imphal on Sunday, resulting in an injury to security personnel.
As reported by ANI, fresh violence erupted in several parts of the state after alleged Kuki militants carrying sophisticated weapons set fire to many houses in Serou and Sugunu area.
The injured individual has been promptly admitted to Raj Medicity Hospital, as confirmed by a police official. The recent outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur has tragically claimed the lives of more than 75 people in the northeastern state.
In response to the outbreak of clashes, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced on Sunday that security forces have successfully neutralized 40 armed "terrorists" who were responsible for setting houses on fire and attacking civilians. These operations were initiated with the objective of restoring peace in the state, which has been grappling with ethnic riots.
The Chief Minister who was interacting with the media persons at the state secretariat, claimed the latest round of "conflict is not between communities but between militants and security forces".
"The terrorists have been using M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles and sniper guns against civilians. They came to many villages to burn down homes," local media quoted Singh as saying.
"We have started taking very strong action against them with the help of the army and other security forces. We have got reports some 40 terrorists have been shot dead," Singh was quoted as saying.
According to a military source cited by AFP, there has been an increase in unrest, resulting in the loss of four lives in the last 24 hours.
However, while a military source confirmed an uptick of unrest, he said four people had been killed in the past 24 hours.
"At least three armed miscreants -- who were trying to set fire to empty houses, and fired at the security forces when they tried to stop them -- died in retaliatory firing," the source told AFP, declining to be named.
"One more armed miscreant was killed in Moreh and three others, including two security personnel, were injured," the source said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will embark on his three-day visit to violence-hit Manipur today, May 29, to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organized in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The northeastern states of India, located between Bangladesh, China, and Myanmar, have historically experienced significant tensions among various ethnic groups, turning the region into a volatile environment.
The recent violence in Manipur, which occurred in May, was primarily a clash between the majority Hindu Meitei community residing in and around the state capital Imphal, and the predominantly Christian Kuki tribe inhabiting the surrounding hills.
(With inputs from agencies)
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First Published:29 May 2023, 07:50 AM IST
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