2 feared shot dead in Manipur clashes that break out once again

At least two persons were killed when armed assailants opened fire on residents in Manipur’s Harothel village early on Thursday morning. This marked the end of a short respite in killings that had lasted a week and fed expectations that violence in the northeastern state was abating.

The episode, which occurred just 20 kilometres from Imphal, showed the difficulties confronting military and administrative attempts to reestablish order in a state that has been torn apart by ethnic strife. The peaks and valleys of the assaults, set against the backdrop of the state’s entrenched divides, also draw attention to the danger presented by well-armed gangs that strike particular sites before going unnoticed.

In a gunfight with the locals, the two persons are said to have died; one of the assailants was wounded but was carried away by the others. When columns of security troops were heading to the area in the morning, the terrorists also opened fire on the security forces. “Own forces stationed in the vicinity were promptly mobilised to stop the situation from becoming worse. Own columns came under heavy fire from armed protestors while travelling to the location, according to the army’s official SpearCorps account.

Unverified accounts claim there were several casualties. There have also been reports of growing crowds in the region. Additional information will be provided when the situation is thoroughly watched, it was noted. According to reports, at least three persons suffered injuries.

In the ethnic clashes that started on May 3 in Churachandpur town after tribal Kuki groups called for protests against a proposed court-ordered change to the state’s reservation matrix, giving scheduled tribe (ST) status to the majority Meitei community, at least 115 people have died (excluding Thursday’s casualties) and nearly 40,000 have been displaced. Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee burning houses and neighbourhoods into jungles, often crossing state borders, as violence soon overtook the state whose ethnic fault lines run deep.

The Kuki group, which makes up 16% of the population and resides mostly in the hill areas, and the majority Meitei community, which makes up 53% of the population, are still at odds with one another.

Because intelligence agencies intercepted conversations about individuals travelling towards the hamlet in the previous two days requesting for “samaan” (material) to be given and “ten additional cadres” to be transported to their position, officials think the assault may have been planned.

Police or the security forces did not confirm the victims or their identities, despite rumours that one of the dead was an Imphal-born merchant navy officer.

When security troops were searching the hamlet at approximately 4 o’clock, they once again heard the sounds of automatic gunfire coming from two different directions: at 4 o’clock from K Munlai village and at 5.15 o’clock from Bethel village. K Munlai and Bethel are located in the north and south, respectively, of Harothel village. Security personnel searched the three locations, including Harothel, until late Thursday night.

Mob gathering in the vicinity to obstruct security forces’ activities was successfully contained. Around 4 o’clock, soldiers stationed nearby heard gunfire coming from the town of K Munlai’s east. Additionally, a reported exchange of fire was heard about 5.15 PM coming from the area of Bethel, a settlement south of National Sports University. Own columns are taking control of the area to defuse the issue, according to a tweet from SpearCorps at 7:50 p.m.

According to officials, the event that occurred on Thursday morning was virtually identical to the one that was reported in the hamlet of Khamelok on June 13, when nine individuals were murdered in a gunbattle with locals. In the next week, stories of fights came in from all throughout the state, but no one was hurt.

According to a representative who was informed of the assault on the hamlet on Thursday, “This morning the military observed sparkles and heard gunshots at Harothel. The fireworks were vividly visible since it was just before dawn. The hamlet came under siege from three sides. As a result, the forces stationed at K Munlai and the National Sports University advanced towards Harothel but were shot at by the criminals.

The incident occurs in the midst of the administration’s redoubled attempts to put an end to the violence and regain control over law and order in the state.

Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had an all-party meeting, and this week, Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced a one-time aid plan while distributing emergency supplies.

In several cases, crowds led by women have prevented security officers in the state from doing their jobs.

The army made four serious accusations in a video that it released on Monday, alleging that women activists were aiding rioters in fleeing, interfering with operations during the day or at night, impeding the flow of supplies, and digging up the entrance to the Assam Rifles camp to cause delays.

The incident highlighted the urgent need for conciliation efforts and for the administration to speed up the peace process in order to resolve conflicts across communities. In order to maintain law and order, the state administration must work to subdue lawbreakers.