Fresh violence in Manipur town bordering Myanmar, exchange of fire and arson reported
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Imphal: Moreh town, a town in Manipur that shares its border with Myanmar, witnessed a surge of violence when a transit camp of security forces came under attack from an angry mob. The situation escalated to an exchange of fire and the forest department building was set on fire.
The town is located in Tengnoupal district and it has seen a period of relative peace for a few days.
Civil society groups reported that trouble erupted in the Moreh Bazar area when some women, who were out shopping for essentials during a curfew relaxation, were allegedly accosted and physically assaulted by personnel from the security forces. This incident led to a heated argument, and the women responded by blocking the road to the market in protest.
Enraged by the actions of the security forces, a group of people set fire to abandoned houses, which were being used as transit accommodations by some personnel during their posting in the area. Amid the escalating tensions, tear gas shells were deployed by the police to disperse the crowd. In the commotion, some personnel from the security forces fired live rounds, and in retaliation, individuals in the mob also fired back at the forces.
In addition to the transit camp attack, a forest department building was torched during the violence, where clouds of smoke were seen rising from several structures, reported NDTV.
As a response to the situation, additional security forces have been deployed to the area to restore calm and maintain peace.
In a separate incident in Kangpokpi district, PTI reported that two buses used by security forces for transportation were set on fire by a mob. The incident occurred at Sapormeina, where local residents stopped the buses with Manipur registration numbers and insisted on checking if any member of another community was onboard. Subsequently, some members of the mob set the buses on fire, but no casualties were reported.
The region has been witnessing a series of unrest since May 3, when a "tribal solidarity march" was organized in the hill districts to protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meitei community. Over 140 people have lost their lives, and more than 3,000 others have been injured. And more than 50,000 people remain displaced.
