Army drones and helicopters monitor situation in Manipur as curfew relaxed

New Delhi/Imphal: Curfew has been relaxed on Sunday in parts of Manipur as the state showed signs of swinging back into normalcy hours after all hell broke loose on its streets.

Security forces however continue to monitor the situation using army drones and helicopters meant for aerial reconnaissance.

Chief Minister Biren Singh on Saturday convened an all-party meeting to take stock of the situation alongside resolving the unrest, NDTV reported.

Biren Singh said the meeting decided to encourage citizens to stay away from causing any further violence or instability.

After engaging with senior officials, police and paramilitary forces in a review video conference, chief minister said that the entire team is working to ensure peace in the state.

Following their meeting with the CM, the civil society outfits of Meiteis and Kukis have agreed to ensure ‘safe passage’ for people stuck in ‘hostage situation’ in tensed areas.

As many as 14 companies of security forces, deployed across Manipur, continue to maintain law and order despite violence breaks out sporadically in some areas.

The curfew was relaxed for three hours on Sunday morning in violence-hit Manipur's Churachandpur district to allow people to buy supplies.

The military used surveillance drones along the border with the Myanmar to monitor the situation.

Officials are reportedly wary of insurgents, hiding in the thick forest along the border, fomenting violence.

Some 20,000 people of Meiteis and Kukis settled respectively in the hills and Imphal valley are evacuated from areas hit by violence, according to the report.

Several factors played out in the incidents that led to the violence in the state with most important of them being Meiteis’ demand for ST status. The Kuki tribals opposed Meiteis getting the ST status.