Imphal, June 30: Atleast two people were killed in firing incident in Kangpokpi district on Thursday, leading to fresh spurt in violence in Manipur, especially in Imphal.
A merchant navy officer was killed on Thursday while fighting Kuki militants. He has been identified as Waikhom Nilakamal.
Police fired in the air and used several rounds of tear gas shells late on Thursday evening to disperse a mob which gathered at Khwairanband Bazaar in the heart of Imphal city where the body of Nilakamal, killed earlier in the Thursday morning in a gunfight in Kangpokpi district, was brought and placed in a traditional coffin.
The mob even threatened to carry his body to Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s house in Imphal’s Keishampat.
According to sources, the clash was continuing till the filing of this report.
“The situation in Keishampat is vulnerable. Additional forces had been deployed to control the clash,” said a source.
Police officials claimed that there is tension in the Imphal city and surrounding areas but the “situation is fully under control”.
In another firing incident, one woman was killed and a few others injured at Leimakhong-Haraothel in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday morning.
According to police, armed militants carrying sophisticated weapons raided several villages in Kangpokpi district, opened fire and assaulted people.
According to reports, a woman was killed on the spot at Leimakhong village and several others were injured in the militants’ firing.
Meanwhile, para-military personnel accompanied by Manipur Police have rushed to the villages and launched combing operation to nab the extremists.
“Unprovoked firing by armed rioters towards village Haraothel commenced at 5.30 a.m. Own troops deployed in the area immediately mobilised to prevent escalation of the situation. While enroute to the site, own columns drew effective fire from armed rioters. Own troops responded in a calibrated manner to prevent any collateral damage. Swift action by troops resulted in cessation of firing,” Army tweeted.
“Additional columns moved to the area. Unconfirmed reports indicate some casualties. Build up of large crowds in the area also reported. Situation being closely monitored and further details will follow,” the Army tweet said.
An official statement from the Manipur police control room said that during the last 24 hours, 17 arms, 12 pieces of ammunition and 10 bombs have been recovered from different districts.
These recovered arms and ammunition were looted by the violent mobs, miscreants and the militants during the ethnic violence that broke on May 3.
A total of 124 Nakas/checkpoints are installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hills and the valley and police have detained 408 persons in connection with violations of curfew rule and other government orders in different districts of the state.
