Firing incident reported at two Manipur villages, armed forces respond

Confirming the firing incident, the official Twitter account of SpearCorps.IndianArmy said there was a firing incident by armed miscreants in Urangpat and Kangpokpi villages

A firing exchange between armed miscreants and security forces was reported on Friday in two Manipur villages, officials aware of the matter said.

At least 115 have died in the violence so far that started on May 3. (AFP picture)

Confirming the firing incident, the official Twitter account of Indian Army’s Spear Corps division said there was a firing incident by armed miscreants in Urangpat and Kangpokpi villages.

“Group of armed miscreants sneaked into the area from YKPI towards hill side today afternoon. Miscreants firing automatic weapons towards villages of Urangpat & Gwaltabi. Security Forces Columns deployed in these vacant villages responding in calibrated manner to avoid any collateral damage. Large group of women part of mob in YKPI & Seijang area preventing movement of additional columns into the area”, the tweet said.

Officials aware of the development in Manipur said that on Thursday too, women protesters in another part of the state had blocked a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) team from entering the Manipur Police Training College in Pangei, Imphal East.

CBI team is in the state to probe the case of mobs looting weapons and ammunition from the armoury of different police stations and units.

While the state police have registered over 4,000 FIRs out of which six are being probed by the CBI through a special investigation team (SIT).

At least 115 have died in the violence so far that started on May 3.

Even as the Centre has sent army, Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF to restore normalcy in the state, that has been affected by ethnic clashes, incidents of violence is being reported almost every day.

On Thursday, two Assam Rifles soldiers were injured when they went to a village in N Boljaing, Imphal West after reports of miscreants firing at the villages.

There was an IED blast too on Wednesday evening in Bishnupur’s Kwakta area, in which three people were injured.

Clashes first broke out in Manipur on May 3 in Churachandpur town after tribal Kuki groups called for protests against a court-proposed tweak to the state’s reservation matrix, granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to the majority Meitei community.

Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders.

The authorities clamped a curfew and suspended internet, pumping in additional security forces to force a break in the spiraling clashes.

Union home minister Amit Shah has called an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the situation in the violence-hit state.

“Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on 24th June at 3PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur,” the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said in a tweet.