New Delhi: Fresh violence was reported in strife-torn Manipur, with gunfights and bomb explosions erupting on two different locations on the night of Saturday (October 26), said officials.
The two latest incidents were reported in Koutruk in Imphal West district and Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district, reported Hindustan Times.
The police in Imphal West district suspect that Kuki militants allegedly started the attack at around 7PM on October 26. The attack targeted the Koutruk Ching Leikai village which falls under the jurisdiction of Lamshang police station.
While the militants allegedly used sophisticated weapons including firearms and bombs, the state police too retaliated which led to heavy exchange of gunfire.
Local residents said that during the exchange of gunfire, an unauthorised drone allegedly launched by suspected militants was also seen.
The Bishnupur district police said that suspected Kuki militants launched an attack on the Tronglaobi village. The state forces along with village volunteers retaliated, which resulted in an exchange of gunfire.
The village had also witnessed a rocket attack on September 6.
Ethnic violence began in the state in May 2023, and has been going on ever since – killing hundreds, displacing tens of thousands and sharply dividing the state along ethnic lines.
Audio tapes put out in the public domain by The Wire after they were submitted to the Commission of Inquiry for Manipur Violence set up by the Union home ministry appear to implicate chief minister N. Biren Singh and his administration directly in the violence. Biren, whose administration has claimed the tapes are “doctored”, has been under considerable pressure to respond to them.