Guwahati: In view of the recent flareup and fresh incidents of violence, the security forces have launched multiple counter-insurgency operations in trouble-torn districts of Manipur on Sunday and 10 more companies of Central forces have been rushed to assist the existing forces to maintain law and order in the strife-torn state.
Security sources, however, claimed that the situation had improved on Sunday morning but they were keeping a close watch on the situation by enforcing restrictions on the movement of people.
On the fresh counter-insurgency operations, the security sources said that these operations were launched after the recent incidents of violence in which five people were hacked to death in two different incidents. The victims included three Meiteis at Kwakta in Bishnupur district and two Kukis in neighbouring Churachandpur district. After the violence, the administration has again imposed curfew in Imphal East and West.
Saying that the current escalation of hostilities had emerged over ITLF’s plans to conduct a mass burial of 35 tribals killed in the violence in the disputed buffer zone, the security sources in Imphal said that more than 15 houses were also set on fire in Manipur’s Imphal West district where fresh violence broke out. The incident took place on Saturday evening at Langol Games village as a mob went on the rampage, the sources said.
Saying that the security personnel fired several rounds of teargas shells to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control, the sources said a 45-year-old man was shot during the violence. He was admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) with bullet injuries on his left thigh, and is said to be out of danger at present.
Indicating there were reports of gunbattles between the security forces and armed militants in Kangpokpi district Saturday evening, the sources said that this incident took place at Mungchamkom in New Keithelmanbi police station area.
Meanwhile, the Manipur police in a press note clarified that reports of looting of arms and ammunition from different police stations and armouries in the Imphal valley districts on August 5 were misleading. The security forces have been raiding hill and valley areas to recover the looted arms, and over 1,195 arms and 14,322 ammunition have been recovered from the affected districts.
Saying that an insurgent from the Kuki Independent Army (KIA), a Kuki militant outfit which is not part of the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement, was nabbed and a rifle, ammunition and “war-like stores” recovered, sources in the Indian Army said that multiple operations have been launched in the aftermath of the incident at Kwakta in Bishnupur.
