Jiribam district, bordering Assam, is a key commercial hub in Manipur. However, commercial activity in the district came to a halt after the recovery of the beheaded body of a missing person on June 6, triggering a fresh bout of violence and forcing over 1,000 people to flee to safer places in Assam and other parts of the Jiribam area.

The escalation of violence took place two days after the declaration of the 18th Lok Sabha election result on June 4 in which the Congress party won both seats.

Jiribam district, bordering Assam, is a key commercial hub in Manipur. However, commercial activity in the district came to a halt after the recovery of the beheaded body of a missing person on June 6, triggering a fresh bout of violence and forcing over 1,000 people to flee to safer places in Assam and other parts of the Jiribam area.

The escalation of violence took place two days after the declaration of the 18th Lok Sabha election result on June 4 in which the Congress party won both seats.

The immediate result of the violence was the shutting down of businesses.

David, a resident of Jiribam town, said all shops and local businesses have shut down except for a few owned and run by non-locals. He said people from vulnerable peripheral areas of the district were huddled in a sports complex near the Jiribam police station, given the insecurity and volatile situation in the area.

Nearly 500 trucks loaded with essentials are stranded at Leingangpokpi to Gulathol, waiting for a security convoy to head to Imphal. Due to the turmoil, commercial activities in the border town have been defunct for more than six days.

Following reports of violence, state commandos were flown in on helicopters and deployed. The town remained tense and residents indoors despite the presence of security personnel. After receiving information that heavily armed militants were heading towards Jiribam via Halflong, Assam, security personnel including state commandos and village defence volunteers have been put on alert and are maintaining vigil.

The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (ITAC) of Pherzawl and Jiribam district, a local organisation, warned the Manipur police on June 8 not to operate in the ITAC jurisdiction area. Failure to comply with the warning would be met with retaliation and ITAC said, it would not be responsible for any untoward incidents.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) M. Pradip met Inspector General of Police (law and order), Assam, PK Bhuyan, on Tuesday at Jiri Ghat to exchange intelligence and take stock of the situation.

The meeting, also attended by senior officers of central forces, discussed necessary security measures to be implemented in and around the border area of Manipur and Assam to restore normalcy in Jiribam town.

Ground reports indicated that the incident, which triggered the fresh bout of violence, occurred in the peripheral area around 25-30 kilometres from Jiribam town.

For nearly two months after two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed in a militant attack at Naranseina, Bishnupur, neighbouring Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi districts of Manipur, had remained peaceful with no major incident of violence.

Until last week: After the June 6 incident in Jiribam district, violence in the border district of Manipur escalated, with sporadic firing and bombings also being reported in peripheral areas of Imphal West and Imphal East.

On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a gunfight broke out in Koutruk, Imphal West district. It is a village located at the border of Imphal West and Kangpokpi district, around 30 kilometres from the chief minister’s residence. No injuries were reported.

Women's organisations in Manipur including the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) women’s wing have demanded that all MLAs and ministers go to Jiribam – under protection for their own safety -- to resolve the ongoing trouble.

On Monday, an advanced security convoy of Chief Minister N Biren Singh was ambushed by armed militants at around 10:30 AM near Kotlen, Kangpokpi district, along the NH-37 (Imphal-Silchar via Jiribam) road. Two people, including one security personnel and a civilian driver, sustained bullet injuries.

During a search operation conducted by a combined team of the Manipur police force and central forces, empty cases of AK and LMG were recovered from elevated hill slopes near the NH-37. Some temporary bunkers suspected to have been used during the ambush were also destroyed by the combined team.

CM Singh, reached Jiribam town on Tuesday, delayed by one day after the convoy was ambushed along NH-37 by armed militants.