Imphal, June 8: In another incident of armed violence, suspected militants attacked many police outposts and set homes on fire in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Saturday.
According to sources, the militants came in boats from the riverway and, attacked the police outposts and set fire to homes in Jiribam.
“Chotobekra outpost was burned down at 12.30 am by the suspected militants, then they attacked the police outposts (OPs) in Lamtai Khunou and Modhupur,” said a police source.
He said the suspected militants attacked many villages along the river.
Another officer posted at a police OP in Borobekra in Jiribam subdivision, a few kilometres from Chotobekra, said the suspected militants began attacking this OP at 2.30 am.
Recently, the Assam Rifles on Friday evacuated 250 members of the Meitei community living on the outskirts of Jiribam town, a day after ethnic tension flared up over the killing of a 59-year-old man allegedly by Kuki insurgents.
Jiribam district is on the border with Assam and has a diverse ethnic composition. It had so far remained unaffected by the ethnic strife which has been raging in Manipur since May last year.
Jiribam is 220 km from the state capital, Imphal, and is on the border with Assam. National Highway 37 passes through this district. There are many Kuki villages in the hills surrounding the highway.
Meanwhile, the security forces have launched a massive combing operation against the militants.
