In a recent incident of fresh violence in the northeastern state of Manipur, four police commandos and one Border Security Force (BSF) jawan were injured on Tuesday. The attack occurred in Manipur's Moreh town when militants ambushed the security personnel. This incident follows clashes the previous day in the Lilong area of Thoubal district, where four civilians lost their lives in confrontations between unidentified armed individuals and local residents.
Gunmen directed their attack towards vehicles transporting police commandos as they were en route to Moreh, near the Myanmar border. According to sources, the assailants fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at the state commandos while security forces were engaged in a search operation.
On Monday evening in Manipur's Thoubal district, three individuals were reportedly shot dead, while four others sustained injuries. In response to the situation, authorities have reimposed a curfew in the five valley districts of the state. Gunmen, who are yet to be identified, arrived in camouflage dresses in the Lilong Chingjao area, and opened fire on a few locals, they said.
The wounded individuals have been transported to the hospital, with some reported to be in critical condition, according to officials. The assailants allegedly arrived in an attempt to extort money from a resident in the area, sparking a confrontation, as per statements from an official.
They were later chased away by the locals, but the miscreants opened fire while fleeing, he said. After the attack, the enraged locals set fire to four vehicles in which the attackers had arrived. It was not immediately clear to whom those belong. Following the fresh violence, curfew was reimposed in Thoubal, Imphal East and Imphal West, Kakching and Bishnupur districts, officials said.
In a video message, Chief Minister N Biren Singh condemned the violence, and appealed to people, particularly the residents of Lilong, to maintain peace. Police is actively pursuing the individuals responsible for the attack, and they are expected to be apprehended and subjected to legal consequences, stated an official.