At least four persons, including a policeman and a teenage boy, were shot dead and several others injured in separate incidents in border areas between Bishnupur and Churachandpur district of Manipur in the past 24 hours, sources in the police have told NDTV.
While the policeman was killed in a gunfight with suspected militants last evening, three other casualties were reported in the morning. For the past two months, the border areas between these two districts have reported a surge in killings, violence, and incidents of arson.
According to Army sources, Kangvai area under Bishnupur district has been a sensitive area right from the beginning of the present crisis in Manipur due to close proximity of both communities.
Security Forces have created 'Buffer Zone' in the area and are deployed to prevent escalation of the situation. However miscreants from both sides tend to sneak in through hillside and villages in valley areas to fire at each other, Army sources added.
"Since Friday night similar attempts were made by mobs from both sides. These mobs had gathered from outside the area and did not yield to the request of locals to go back. Security Forces responded jointly in a calibrated manner and prevented them from torching any houses. However, miscreants from both sides indulged in firing at each other from stand-off ranges from villages of Kangvai, Songdo and Awang Lekhai. The firing resulted in three fatalities besides injuries to few others," said a senior security official involved in ground operations on condition of anonymity.
Army sources further added that, although the firing ceased during the early hours, mobs in the valley side continued to block movement of security forces for reinforcing the area. Senior officers from the security forces have been working round the clock to restore peace in the area by engaging both communities.
However, the emotions continue to run high and intermittent firing continued even during the day and situation is tense but under control today morning as per Army sources.
An official statement from the Manipur police control room on Friday night said that the situation is tense in some places with sporadic incidents of firing reported and assembly of unruly mobs in a few places during the past 24 hours triggered tension and chaos.
The situation, however, remains normal in most districts.
Eighteen illegal bunkers set up by the miscreants and militants were destroyed in Imphal East, Imphal West, Churachandpur, Bishnupur and Kakching districts by a combined team of Manipur police and Central security forces on Friday. Around 50 illegal bunkers were razed during the past 24 hours.
In the last 24 hours, five sophisticated arms, 74 pieces of various types of ammunition and five highly explosive hand grenades were recovered from Imphal East district.
About 126 Nakas/Checkpoints were installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hill and the valley and Police has detained 270 persons in connection with violations of laws in different districts.