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Manipur: Protesters take to streets in Imphal after 3 bodies found in Jiribam
The protesters mostly women blocked the main roads in Kwakeithel area and Sagolband Tera in Imphal West district
Hundreds of people took to the streets in various parts of Imphal Valley on Saturday after three bodies, believed to be those of six missing individuals, were discovered in Jiribam district, reported news agency PTI.
The protesters, who were mostly women, burnt tires and disrupted traffic while blocking major roads in Kwakeithel and Sagolband Tera in Imphal West.
Also Read: Manipur: Mother of 3 tortured before being set on fire in Jiribam, finds autopsy: Report
In Khwairamband Market, Manipur's main market, women vendors also organized a rally denouncing the killings, as heavy security forces were deployed in Imphal.
Also Read: Manipur: 3 bodies found days after 6 people were abducted in Jiribam
Businesses and markets shut down in the area as well after news broke of the bodies' recovery. Protests were also organised in Ningthoukhong, Bishnupur district, and Lamlong, Imphal East.
Also Read: Political parties in Mizoram condemn rising cases of violence in Manipur
The three bodies—a woman and two children—were found near the confluence of the Jiri and Barak rivers along the Manipur-Assam border on Friday night.
The bodies were then transported to Assam's Silchar Medical College Hospital for postmortem. The victims, three women and three children, had been missing since a gunfight between militants and security forces took place in Jiribam on Monday.
Authorities are still searching for the three other missing individuals.
Metei organizations have accused militants of abducting them. Since May 2023, ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups has claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands.
Jiribam, previously unaffected by the clashes, has seen rising tensions, particularly after the discovery of a mutilated body in June. An alert has also been sounded in the neighbouring Cachar district with round the clock patrolling initiated in the remote border areas.
Protests were also held in Aizawl, Mizoram, where people condemned the Manipur government for "failing to contain the ethnic violence between the Meitei people and the Kuki-Zo community".
