Six people, including a father-son due, have been killed in strife-torn Manipur in the last 24 hours. Around 16 people have been injured in day-long attacks along the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border areas since early Saturday morning.
The Army has launched a major combing operation in the area, in which at least one insurgent was arrested after sustaining bullet injuries. Sources said the Centre has decided to rush 10 additional companies of central forces to the state.
In view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, there will be no curfew relaxation in the Imphal East and Imphal West districts today, police sources have said.
Saturday was among the deadliest days in a fortnight in Manipur, as several places along the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border reported day-long mortar and grenade attacks in a heavy exchange of fire from both sides.
Three unarmed villagers, including a father-son duo, were killed in a pre-dawn attack on a village in Kwakta area of Bishnupur district yesterday. The victims were living in relief camps but had returned on Friday to guard their village, abandoned after villagers fled to camps when violence first erupted on May 3. Sources in the security forces said that two of the men were also struck with sharp weapons on different parts of their bodies before they were shot at close range.
Retaliatory attacks soon started, and armed men reportedly opened fire, and used mortar shells and grenades in Kwakta's two neighbouring villages, Phoujang and Songdo, which fall in the Churachandpur district, killing two people and injuring a few others.
In a simultaneous attack at Terakhongsangbi, in Bishnupur district, one person was killed and three others, including a police commando, suffered gunshot injuries.
There were also reports of shooting by unidentified men in Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages in Imphal East district. No casualties were reported.
Unidentified mobs also burnt down houses at Langgol in Imphal West district.
Massive protests against the killing took place in Imphal as well.
Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, on Saturday hit out at central security forces, claiming there were huge security lapses in the attack in Bishnupur district that killed three people, and demanded action against the paramilitary force personnel for their "negligence in duty".
The Manipur Police on Friday said joint forces conducted search operations in vulnerable and fringe areas of the strife-torn state and destroyed seven illegal bunkers after fresh violence broke out across various districts.
The northeastern state has been embroiled in ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, following the Meitei's demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds while displacing thousands.
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