Fresh violence in Manipur : Five more killed .... Meitei apex body declares indefinite emergency in the state citing 'Kuki aggression'

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh held an emergency meeting with MLAs from the ruling coalition and also met Governor in the wake of the fresh violence that killed five on Saturday.  

Manipur forces seize arms, ammunition amid growing tensions after fresh attack 

A group of Meitei civil society organisations, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), declared an indefinite emergency in the state, citing increased Kuki aggression in the region.

However, Kuki groups denied carrying out aerial bombing via drones. The apex body of the Kuki tribe has denied accusations that Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers used drones to drop bombs, claiming that their use of drones is limited to surveillance in adherence to international law.

The Jiribam district, which saw five deaths on Saturday, had largely been untouched by the prolonged ethnic violence, and there was a peace agreement between the two communities in place.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.  

Surbala Devi : snap NDTV web 

Amid the sound of gunfire and explosions that reverberated in the valley in Manipur, Ngangbam Surbala Devi lived a happy life centred around the love for and well-being of her family. 

The 31-year-old was more than just a homemaker; she was the glue that held her family together, managing their home with grace and determination, supplementing their modest earnings, and ensuring her children received the education they deserved, her relatives said.

On September 1, the unrelenting ethnic violence shattered her world, ending her life in the place she had once called home.

Surbala Devi's killing is not just another tale of loss; it is a heartbreaking reminder of the innocent lives torn apart by senseless conflict. Her death has left behind a grieving husband and two young children.

At her home in the quiet, green village of Phayeng, Surbala Devi was the heartbeat of her family, balancing multiple roles with an unwavering commitment, her relatives said.  

At least five people, including one civilian, have been killed as violence flared between two warring ethnic communities in the restive northeastern state.  

Manipur Police say the Kuki militants deployed long-range rockets among the civilian population in attacks on two locations in Bishnupur district. This occurred after the militants entered the house of a person who lived alone and shot him dead in his sleep, worsening the situation.

In the ongoing combing operation, a large number of sophisticated arms, ammunition, explosives, and grenades were recovered on Saturday. A total of nine sophisticated arms, 21 different types of ammunition, 21 explosives, grenades, and a wireless set were recovered, officials said.

Security forces also destroyed three bunkers of militants in Churachandpur district after insurgents launched rocket attacks in adjoining Bishnupur, killing one person and injuring six others. The bodies of three armed militants were recovered in Jiribam.

There was an attempt to loot arms from Manipur Rifles custody at two locations, and combined security forces deployed at these locations dispersed the mob and repelled the attempt. Some vehicles belonging to the miscreants were also damaged, according to officials.

Manipur Police also deployed anti-drone systems in response to recent drone and rocket attacks on civilians. On Friday, people near Bishnupur and Imphal East districts turned off their lights after multiple drones were sighted. Similar drones were also used by the militants on Saturday.  

A new round of clashes and exchange of gunfire took place on Saturday in the district of Jiribam, located on India’s border with Myanmar. “Fighting has been going on between armed groups of both the communities since the morning,” said Krishna Kumar, deputy commissioner of Jiribam.

One person, a civilian, was shot dead while sleeping and another four “armed persons” were killed in a “subsequent exchange of fire”. 

A massive combing operation to trace militants was underway in Manipur a day after at least five people were killed in fresh violence in Jiribam district amid drone and rocket attacks. The security agencies recovered large caches of weapons in a significant arms haul in the state, which has been on the boil since the ethnic violence began in May last year.

Following the attack, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh held an emergency meeting with ruling coalition MLAs to review the situation. Later, he also met Governor L Acharya to appraise him about the security situation in the state.

ends