Imphal/Kolkata, Sep 7: Five people were killed in fresh violence in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Saturday, police said.
According to police, militants entered the house of a person who lived alone at an isolated location around 5 km from the district headquarters and shot him dead in his sleep.
After the killing, a heavy exchange of fire took place between people of the warring communities in the hills around 7 km from the district headquarters, leading to the deaths of four armed men, including three hills-based militants, police added.
In the evening, Chief Minister N Biren Singh held an emergency meeting with MLAs from the ruling coalition comprising the BJP, Naga People’s Front, and National Peoples Party (NPP), to discuss the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
On Friday, security forces destroyed three bunkers of militants in Churachandpur district after insurgents launched rocket attacks in adjoining Bishnupur that killed one person and injured six others.
Earlier this week, fresh arson took place in Jiribam district after suspected ‘village volunteers’ burnt down an abandoned three-room house of a retired police officer at Jakuradhor in Borobekra police station area. Tribal body Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (Pherzawl and Jiribam) denied any involvement in the incident.
The district witnessed fresh violence despite representatives of the Meitei and Hmar communities reaching an agreement to restore normalcy and “prevent incidents of arson and firing” in a meeting held at a CRPF facility in adjoining Assam’s Cachar on August 1.
In the meeting moderated by the Jiribam district administration, Assam Rifles and CRPF personnel, and representatives of Hmar, Meitei, Thadou, Paite and Mizo communities of Jiribam district were also present.
The agreement was, however, denounced by several Hmar tribal bodies based outside Jiribam district saying they did not have any knowledge about it.
Meanwhile, security forces conducted operations in Mualsang and Laika Mualsau villages in Churachandpur district on Friday and destroyed three bunkers of militants. (PTI)
