Two killed in Manipur after mob clashes with forces

The violence began around 6am, when armed men fired at security forces in Pallel when personnel were on their way to a village after reports of firing at the villagers from a hill top, came to the fore

Two people died and another 40 injured in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district after a thousands-strong mob clashed with security forces despite prohibitory orders, state police said on Friday, marking the first instance of major violence in the strife-torn state in a week.

Since May 3, when ethnic violence broke out between Meitei and Kuki communities, at least 162 people have died (REUTERS)

The violence began around 6am, when armed men fired at security forces in the Molnoi area of Pallel when personnel were on their way to a village after reports of the firing at the villagers from a hill top, came to the fore. As the men hiding in the hills were engaged in a gunfight with the forces, a crowd of around 4,000-5,000 people assembled near the sector headquarters of the Assam Rifles in Pallel, less than a kilometre from Molnoi, and attempted to go to Molnoi, security officials said. Pallel area is home to Kuki-Zo, Meitei and Naga people. “No clash has been reported from Pallel since May 3,” an official said.

Police said when the crowd attempted to move, they were stopped by security forces. “Being blocked by security forces, some armed miscreants from within mob fired at security forces resulting in gunshot wounds to an army officer, who was evacuated by helicopter to military hospital....In calibrated response in self defence and to control the unruly mob, security forces used minimum force to disperse the mob that led to injuries to few persons who were part of the mob, out of which two reportedly died,” the state police said in a statement.

“There were armed miscreants in the crowd, who fired at the Assam Rifles personnel. The forces also responded in a calibrated manner due to which some people sustained injuries. One Assam Rifles personnel was also injured in the firing by the miscreants,” said an official aware of the matter.

One person, later identified by the security officials as Yengkhom Jiten, died of bullet injuries, police said, adding that a second man also in the crowd succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. “Around 40 people, mostly women, were also injured during the crowd control exercise,” one of the security official quoted above said.

The injured include one Assam Rifles soldier and two personnel from the Manipur police, said police, adding that women protesters also stopped additional security reinforcements from reaching the village.

Until late Friday evening, there was heavy exchange of gunfire between the armed men and security forces in Molnoi, but the crowds had dispersed.

People aware of the matter said that violence broke out at three places -- two spots in Pallel and one at Bethel in Imphal West. “Early morning, miscreants in combat fatigue were trying to enter a village in Molnoi. As the villagers fled and took shelter in a BSF camp nearby, the security forces present there started chasing the miscreants. The miscreants opened fire. Two Manipur police commandos sustained bullet injuries. The miscreants also sustained injuries,” said a second official, requesting anonymity.

Within hours, at the nearby sector headquarters, armed miscreants tried to storm the Assam Rifles office when they were stopped from going further, during which some also fired at the personnel. Police officials aware of the matter said that both men, who died, were part of this mob.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei civil society umbrella group, and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), which represents Kuki groups, blamed each other for the violence that came ahead of the G20 summit in Delhi. COCOMI also blamed Assam Rifles.

Since May 3, when ethnic violence broke out between Meitei and Kuki communities, at least 162 people have died. On August 29, and August 31, clashes between tribal Kukis and dominant Meiteis left at least eight people dead and over two dozen, including three India Reserve Battalion personnel, wounded.