Villagers flee Manipur district

Hundreds of villagers are fleeing from the villages of Azuram and Chramram in Manipur's Tamenglong district following clashes.

Hundreds of villagers have begun to flee from the villages of Azuram and Chramram in Manipur's Tamenglong district following clashes between cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), NSCN(K), the Manipur People's Army (MPA) and the NSCN (IM). According to reports received here, militants of the MPA and the NSCN (K) were making an attempt to capture Azuram village, a known stronghold of the NSCN(IM).

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At least 900 villagers have left their homes in the two villages, official sources from Tamenglong said. Some have moved to shelters that have been provided by the Tamenglong district administration.

According to a senior Manipur Police official, the fighting has been on for four days now. While two units of the Assam Rifles have been rushed to the site of the fighting, the situation was yet to be brought under control, the official said. According to the Manipur director general of police, AK Parashar, the army has been kept on alert, and would be moved in case the need arose.