Rockets Fired At Manipur's Valley District, 2 Buildings Damaged: Police

Suspected insurgents launched a rocket attack in Manipur's Bishnupur district this morning, damaging two structures, the police said. No one was injured. The rocket attack damaged a community hall and an empty room, the police said.

Rockets were fired from elevated positions in the nearby hill areas of Churachandpur district toward the low-lying residential locality of Tronglaobi, 45 km from the state capital Imphal, the police said.

The range of the rockets was estimated to be over 3 km, the police said.

Churachandpur district in southern Manipur is a Kuki-dominated area, including those who come under the 'Any Kuki Tribe' category in the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur. Bishnupur, bordering Churachandpur, is a Meitei-dominated valley area.

The police said the suspected insurgents also fired several rounds from the hills towards Bishnupur district, prompting security forces to retaliate.

On Thursday night, residents in Kumbi village near Tronglaobi reported seeing multiple drones.

Two people were killed and nine including a 12-year-old girl were injured in firing and drone attacks by suspected Kuki insurgents on Sunday. The injured girl was the daughter of one of the two who was shot in the head. Another three were injured in a drone bomb attack in Manipur's Senjam Chirang on Monday.

Top intelligence sources have confirmed the use of the weaponised drones and long-range sniper rifles in the attack on Koutruk village.

Sunday's attack was the first recorded use of drones to drop bombs on civilians by suspected insurgents in India.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis - a term given by the British in colonial times - who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar's Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

With inputs from PTI