On Sunday, N Biren Singh, the chief minister of Manipur, said that rebels from the Kuki tribe were behind the recent ethnic riots in the state. He called them “terrorists.” He said that counterinsurgency actions have killed at least 40 armed militants who set fire to homes and shot at civilians. After the military started clearing operations to bring peace to areas that had been hit by violence, new fighting broke out. Police said that two civilians were killed and 12 others were hurt in different incidents of firing on civilians.
In several parts of the state where there are racial riots, security forces have been fighting armed groups for more than eight hours. The operations are happening in Litanpokpi, Serou, Sugnu, Yaingangpokpi, and Trobung, the chief minister said. Singh said, “A large number of Kuki militants in combat gear were killed, and the Jat Regiment also caught a number of people with ties to the group. Kuki militants are terrorists.”
#WATCH | Manipur: Vehicles vandalised and burned by miscreants in Uripok area of Imphal West pic.twitter.com/pdkvxqwYFF
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2023
Singh also said that Kuki rebels were using heavy weapons, such as mortars with a diameter of two inches. When he talked to the reporters at his office in Imphal, the CM strongly criticized the use of high-tech weapons, like M16 rifles, AK-47s, and snipers, to kill unarmed civilians. He said that what they were doing was “acts of terrorism” and stressed that the government was committed to stopping this danger.
The most recent fights started after the army started clearing operations to get rid of weapons in order to make peace. If you’re looking for a place to stay, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re looking for a place to eat, you’ve come to the right place.
A top security official told PTI that the house of BJP MLA Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh in Uripok, Imphal West, was broken into and that his two cars were set on fire. The source also said that the fighting started early in the morning in different places around the Imphal Valley.
“Firing has been reported from Sugnu in Kakching, Kangvi in Churachandpur, Kangchup in Imphal West, Sagolmang in Imphal East, Nungoipokpi in Bishenpur, Khurkhul in Imphal West, and YKPI in Kangpokpi,” the official said.
The official also said that new roadblocks had been set up in some places, and that women were in charge of them. There was also an unconfirmed word that a Meitei group had stolen weapons from the Kakching police station.
TWO KILLED, 12 INJURED IN FIRING: POLICE
Police say that suspected Kuki rebels shot at two people in Phayeng, in the Imphal West district. One person died and the other was hurt by a bullet. In the Kakching district, rebels burned down about 80 Meitei homes in the towns of Napat, Serou, and Sugnu, which forced the villagers to leave at midnight.
Police said that they fired back, which led to a lot of gunfire. At Sugnu, one police officer was killed and another was hurt when shots were fired. Six people were hurt at Sugnu, and four more were hurt at Serou. Armed militants came down to Yaingangpokpi in the Imphal East district, which is on the eastern side of the Manipur valley. They set fire to two homes and shot at people in the town. There have also been stories of people getting hurt there.
At Sekmai in the Imphal West district, on the northern side of the Manipur valley, well-armed militants attacked nearby towns, which led to a firefight. Armed Kuki rebels attacked Phougakchao Ikhai, Torbung, and Kangvai on Saturday night in Bishnupur district and set fire to more than 30 Meitei homes.
‘ADDITIONAL VULNERABLE SPOTS IDENTIFIED’
If you’re looking for a place to stay, you’ve come to the right place. Before, security steps were focused on 38 places that were known to be weak.
Singh, who is also the home minister, said that the security forces worked directly under the state home department. This was in response to claims that the security forces were limited in some places. He said that the state had a lot of well-trained workers and that there were no limits on what they could do in the state’s area.
Singh said that anyone who tries to hurt Manipur’s stability will be treated as a “enemy of the state.” He also said that the government is still committed to getting rid of Kuki “terrorists” from Manipur. He also asked the people not to get involved in the fight and to let the security forces do their jobs.
The CM also asked the 34 to 35 different ethnic groups in Manipur to work together and back the government’s mission to get rid of insurgents.
Over 75 people have died in ethnic clashes in the state. They started when, on May 3, a “Tribal Solidarity March” was held in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s desire for Scheduled Tribe status. Before the violence, there was tension over the eviction of Kuki people from forest land in a reserve. This had led to a number of smaller fights.
To get things back to normal in the northeastern state, over 10,000 people from the army, the Assam Rifles, and other militia forces had to be sent there. This was in addition to the 140 columns of army and Assam Rifles soldiers. About 53% of the people in Manipur are Meiteis, and most of them live in the Imphal Valley. Nagas and Kukis, who are also tribal people, make up another 40% of the population and live in the hill areas.
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