Curfews Imposed in Several Manipur Districts After New Incidents of Violence; security forces deployed

Curfews have been imposed in several districts of Manipur after fresh incidents of violence were reported. These districts include Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, and Jiribam.

Ethnic clashes have claimed more than 70 lives in the state since May 3 and some 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel had to be deployed to restore normality to the northeastern state.

Manipur government security adviser Kuldeep Singh said central forces including the Army and Assam Rifle have been instructed to permanently occupy the vulnerable outlying area of ​​Bishnupur district, including the hills.

Some criminals, who came down the slope towards the foot of the Molngat/Tronglaobi hill, reportedly set fire to three houses on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Singh said it might take a day or two for the Assam army and riflemen to take their positions. In addition, the CAPF and the state police will also be patrolling the Thamnapokpi and Tronglaobi area around the clock, he added.

A double-barreled pistol, two single-barreled pistols, three Chinese hand grenades and 18 cartridges were recovered from suspicious locations during a search operation in the Bishnupur district, it said.

In a separate incident, a person sustained gunshot wounds to the finger and thigh during a gunshot from the upper hill of Singda Kadangband Part-1 in Imphal West by armed suspects early Wednesday morning, it said, adding that the person has been evacuated to RIMS for treatment.

The security adviser also informed that the surprise inspection at the militant camps is still ongoing and the final inspection report is likely to arrive within two to three days. During the inspection, the core force team ensured that the weapons were kept in a proper bunker and not in a makeshift arrangement.

The trucks can move smoothly and without any interference on NH-37 with the cooperation of the public and local police, he said.

When asked about the inability of the security forces to carry out an immediate operation soon after any attack by suspected militants from the hills on the outlying villages of the valley, he said: “Targeting the militants is carried out with intelligence information and adequate preparation. Furthermore, in all the hills it is very difficult to launch an operation. So the operation is carried out only when there is an intelligence report.”

Stating that “violence is not decreasing as different communities have different aspirations”, the security adviser called on all people not to believe any rumors and also to make every effort to restore peace and the harmony.