Fresh clashes in Manipur kill 5 civilians; injure security personnel
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Imphal: After fresh violence broke in Manipur on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, five civilians were killed while three Border Security Force personnel were injured, Hindustan Times (HT) reported.
The new incidents after the attack on two police personnel by armed militants in Tengnoupal on Wednesday morning. Following the death of five civilians, there were widespread protests in many parts of the state, raising tension.
Police confirmed the death of four Meiteis in Bishnupur district and stated that they were killed by armed miscreants around 2:00 in the afternoon on Thursday. Those killed were identified as Ningthoujam Nabadeep (40), Oinam Bamonjao (63), Oinam Manitomba (37) and Thiyam Somen (56). Police recovered the bodies and sent them to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal for postmortem and other formalities, a senior official told HT.
As per reports, the four killed in the attack were working at their farm. Post the attack on them and death, there were protests in areas in Imphal Valley.
Earlier, in another incident, a gunfight broke out between armed village volunteers at Kangchup in Imphal West district, where a 23-year-old identified as Takhelambam Manoranjan was killed. He was also a Meitei.
The ethnic clashes between two sections in Manipur started in May last year. The majority of the Meitei community and the tribal Kukis took arms against each other, and the violence still continues unabated. The clashes between them have killed at least 207 people so far and displaced more than 50,000 people.
The chaotic atmosphere in the state has made the warring communities withdraw themselves to their strongholds- Meiteis reside in the plains of the Imphal valley, and Kukis largely in the hills.
The security forces had created buffer zones in various border districts, set up camps and posted on the highway to ensure that the two conflicting groups were kept separated so that chances were reduced of triggering violence. However, militant groups are using forests and hills to cross into other districts to attack each other.