Fresh gunfight breaks out in Manipur’s border town

A gunfight broke between militants and security forces in the border of Moreh in strife torn Manipur on Sunday, people familiar with the matter said. The village volunteers of the district have demanded that central paramilitary forces replace the Manipur police n the area, accusing the commandos of the state police of bias (PTI) The town in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district has been on high alert after a spate of attacks by militants on security forces, especially Manipur police commandos.

On January 2, at least seven security personnel — four Manipur police commandos and 3 BSF personnel— on their way for a search operation were injured in an attack. On December 30, militants attacked Manipur police commandos inside their barracks, during which rocket propelled grenades (RPG) were fired.

Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Kaikholal Haokip, spokesperson of the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, an umbrella group for Kukis in the district said “the gunfight began on 9pm”. There were no reports of casualties till the time of going to press. The village volunteers of the district have demanded that central paramilitary forces replace the Manipur police n the area, accusing the commandos of the state police of bias.

Chief minister Biren Singh last week hinted at the possibility of involvement of mercenaries from Myanmar in the attacks on personnel Tuesday’s incident. “ We have doubts about involvement of foreign mercenaries from Myanmar side, he said. Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence since early May as clashes erupted between the Meiteis, the most populous community in the state, and the tribal Kukis, killing nearly 200 people.

The widespread ethnic violence has led to creation of community based armed village defence volunteers as the fault lines have deepened beyond the Meitei Kuki divide, pitting different communities and groups against each other. Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Get Latest India News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Share Via Copy Link Manipur Gunfight.