Manipur Tension Erupts: Security Forces Kill 10 Militants in Fiery Clash at Police Station
Tensions ran high in Manipur's Jiribam district on Monday as security forces engaged in fierce gun battles with suspected Kuki-Zo militants following an attack on the Borobekra police station and the near Jakuradhor CRPF post. The incident claimed 10 alleged militants' lives and left one CRPF constable injured. He has been transferred to Silchar Medical College in Assam for treatment.
Violence is reported to have begun at around 3 pm after "armed militants" fired at the police station and CRPF post. According to a police statement, the CRPF and local police retaliated and restored the situation to normal after an intense exchange of firing for 40 to 45 minutes. Security forces have recovered the bodies of 10 militants and a cache of arms, including AK-series rifles, self-loading rifles, an RPG, and bulletproof helmets, after the encounter.
It was a night operation to clear up the area of militants which continued till late night, where upon reinforcement from Assam Rifles, CRPF, and police were also deployed to manage the situation. The Jiribam district administration has since imposed a curfew to control the unrest.
Escalating Tension and Community Response
The incident has come at a time when tensions are simmering in Jiribam following violent ethnic clashes that flared there recently. On last Thursday, suspected Meitei militants torched homes in a predominantly Hmar village, leaving the Kuki-Zo community reeling with anger. Kuki-Zo groups say their Village Volunteers have been protecting their villages from attacks by Meitei militants since the outbreak of ethnic conflict in the region on May 3 last year.
The Kuki-Zo Council, in response to the incident on Monday, issued a statement condemning the "11 Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers' loss" and called for a full investigation of the violence. For its part, it described the attack as a devastating blow that gave an injurious blow to the community as a whole. It also announced a regional shutdown from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday to honor the victims.
Another Kuki-Zo organization, the Committee on Tribal Unity, has threatened a 24-hour shut down in Kangpokpi protesting what it term as lack of neutrality by the Central security forces. The committee insists that their volunteers had acted to "sanitise" the area because they believed that Meitei militants of the Arambai Tenggol group were hiding at the Jiribam police station. They alleged the CRPF had retaliated against their volunteers, whereas the Kuki-Zo community has never attacked the central security forces.
Instances of Firing Cases and Escalation of Violence in the Region
There was widespread violence across various districts in Manipur after the attack on Thursday, with intensifying firings being witnessed from both Meitei and Kuki-Zo locals. The Meitei-majority valley districts have been the most vulnerable, particularly during this harvesting season, with several incidents of crossfire from the hills. A Meitei woman farmer was killed in Bishnupur yesterday and an army jawan injured in Imphal East on Sunday. The violence continued on Monday as well with another farmer, a Tangkhul, injured.
Two Tangkhul student unions have declared a "total shutdown" of the Ukhrul-Imphal road demanding justice and immediate action to address the ongoing violence.
As the situation hangs in the balance with Jiribam on tenterhooks and fear of yet another outbreak of violence looming large, Manipur remains tense as security forces strive hard to bring it back to peace amidst relentless ethnic and regional conflicts.
