Fresh Violence Erupts In Manipur's Imphal East District, No Casualties Reported So Far

Two armed groups clashed in Manipur's Imphal East district, but no injuries were reported. The incident follows a gunfight between armed men and security forces in the same area on Tuesday night.

A gunfight broke out between two armed groups in Manipur's Imphal East district, police said, adding that no injuries have been reported so far.

The officials said that armed men fired from the hilltops of Kangpokpi district, targeting the Sinam Kom village. However, armed 'village volunteers', who were deployed at the foothills, retaliated, which lead to the gunfight. Following the incident, additional security forces have been deployed in the area, news agency PTI reported.

As per the security officials, another gunfight erupted on Tuesday night between armed men and security forces at Thamnapokpi and nearby Uyok Ching in Imphal East.

Meanwhile, Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on December 25 said that the state was on the right trajectory of development and good governance before violence broke out on May 3, 2023, and had hosted multiple international and national events, including G-20 meetings, Miss India contests, and a tri-nation football tournament. While speaking as the chief guest on the occasion of Good Governance Day held at the chief minister’s secretariat, Biren Singh also praised the government officials, including the chief secretary, for working towards achieving the government’s objective of good governance.

A few days ago, the security forces conducted search operations in the Nungbram village and Lairok Vaiphei Village in Imphal East District. The search led to the recovery of considerable number of weapons and explosives.

On December 17, Indian Army and the Manipur Police recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the Manipur Imphal's East district. These search operations have been done to maintain control over the sensitive areas, which is prone to insurgency and have the presence of militant groups.

Manipur has been facing clashes due to enmity between the Meitei and Kuki communities over land and reservation issues. The ethnic violence between the two communities had led to killing of over 250 people, while thousands have been rendered homeless in Manipur since May last year. As tensions remain high in the affected areas, the officials have been urging people to remain calm and avoid any further clashes and unrest in the state.