Fresh violence in Manipur; military chopper deployed for surveillance

Imphal: Hours after five people were slain in separate acts of violence in the state's Jiribam district on Saturday, the Manipur government said it had activated a military helicopter for aerial patrolling and installed anti-drone systems to ward off the rogue drones of militants hours.

A senior police officer in Imphal said that suspected Kuki militants carried out attacks at Nungchappi village in Jiribam district, killing 63-year-old Yurembam Kulendra Singha, who was sleeping during the attack.

The militants then continued with the firing in Rasidpur village, following which the village volunteers retaliated in which Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma (41) was killed. Both Singha and Sharma belong to the Meitei community, IANS reported.

Security forces led by senior police officials later rushed to the area, and they were also fired upon. The security personnel also retaliated befittingly, the official said.

The police officer said that while searching the area, three bodies of suspected "militants" were found.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), an apex body of tribals in Manipur, claimed that United National Liberation Front (UNLF) militants killed four Kuki-Zo village volunteers in the Jiribam district on Saturday.

The police officer, meanwhile, also said that a total of nine sophisticated arms, including sniper and assault rifles, 21 different types of ammunition and an equal number of explosives, grenades and a wireless set were recovered from different places in Bishnupur and Kangpokpi districts.

Intermittent firing continued until noon in several mountainous villages in the Jiribam district, adjoining Assam.

The situation remains extremely tense as Jiribam district has emerged as a fresh zone of armed hostilities, further escalating the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

A huge contingent of Assam Rifles, other Central Armed Police Force personnel and Manipur police commandos have rushed to all the places where fresh incidents of violence took place since Saturday morning.

Senior officers are on the ground and closely monitoring the overall security scenario, while additional forces are deployed in vulnerable, fringe and sensitive locations.

An official statement said that the Manipur Police have also undertaken several other measures and actions and these include, the deployment of sophisticated arms to repel armed miscreants and long-range weapons, social media monitoring cells to check instigators of violence, strong combined 'Nakas' (check gates) were set up in sensitive areas in Imphal, valley and in hills to prevent movement of militants and armed cadres.

Manipur Home Department and police personnel have been analysing the recent attacks to strengthen its manpower with sophisticated weapons and an updated Anti Drone System.

Meanwhile, the police appealed to the public to cooperate with security forces in maintaining the law and order situation in the state and also cautioned that anyone trying to interfere with the functioning of the security forces, or attempt to loot arms from security would be dealt with seriously as per law, the statement said.

The Manipur government on Friday ordered the closure of all educational institutions across the state on Saturday, and asked the security forces to remain on high alert and also intensify their counter-insurgency operations, hours after an elderly man was killed while six others sustained injuries as suspected militants lobbed a powerful bomb at the house of former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng in Bishnupur district.

On Friday, a 78-year-old man was killed and six others sustained injuries as suspected Kuki militants targeted former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng's residence in Bishnupur district by lobbing a "powerful bomb".

According to police, the bomb which was lobbed from a long range fell on the compound of former Chief Minister Koireng’s residence, killing the elderly man on the spot. Koireng and his family members were not in the house during the bomb attack.

The deceased, identified as R.K. Rabei, was preparing for some local religious ceremony when the bomb exploded. Six others, including a 13-year-old girl, suffered splinter injuries and were shifted to the hospital.

The "powerful bomb", which was detonated remotely, fell at a spot that is around a few km from the Indian National Army (INA) headquarters, where on April 14, 1944, Lt Col Shaukat Ali of the INA hoisted the Tricolour for the first time on Indian soil under the guidance of INA Supreme Commander Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Combined security forces have destroyed three separate bunkers at Mualsang and Laika Mualsau village of Churachandpur district.

Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General rank police officials have been camping in the tension-ridden districts.