6 killed in Manipur after violence flares up again

At least six people were killed in the Jiribam district of strife-torn Manipur on Saturday, officials aware of the matter said, as the fresh wave of violence to besiege the state and rupture the fragile peace maintained for close to three months spiralled.

According to police, armed Kuki militants attacked Nungchepi village at around 4am, killing 63-year-old Yurembam Kulendra Singha, a Metei, in his sleep. They then targeted the Rasidpur village, roughly 7km away, triggering separate gunfights with village volunteers and police, which resulted in the deaths of four more people. Members of the Metei community reside in both villages.

“Early morning, suspected Kuki militants attacked Nungchappi village under Jiribham district, in which 63-year-old civilian Yurembam Kulendra Singh was killed in his bed,” additional director general of police (administration) K Jayenta said.

He added: “The armed miscreants continued firing and moving towards Rasidpur village. The village volunteers there retaliated, leading to an exchange of fire, during which 41-year-old Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma, a resident of the district, was killed. The Jiribam district police rushed to the spot, but they were also attacked by the armed miscreants. The police fired back and managed to control the situation.”

Jayenta said that while searching the area, they found three bodies, suspected to be of the militants, in full combat gear. Later in the day, the police said in a statement that they recovered another body from the spot.

“The situation in the area is tense but under control. We have deployed additional forces in the area,” he said.

Located around 220km from Imphal near the Assam border, Jiribam is home to Meiteis, Kukis, Bengalis, Nepalis, Nagas, and other communities. It had remained largely peaceful despite the state being roiled in clashes, with Meitei and Kuki groups pledging not to indulge in violence during a meeting at the police superintendent’s office in June 2023. However, the killing of 59-year-old S Saratkumar Singh, a resident of the village, in June this year brought the district to the boil and forced many to flee the region as the houses of both Kuki and Metei community members were set ablaze by mobs.

Saturday’s violence was the deadliest in the northeastern state this year and highlighted an escalation in hostilities between ethnic groups. The same day, separate gunfights also broke out at Sugnu and Napat villages of Kakching district bordering Churachandpur, officers aware of the matter said. No casualties were reported in these incidents.

Amid a flare up in clashes, chief minister N Biren Singh called an emergency meeting of the lawmakers from the state’s ruling coalition to discuss the law and order situation. He then met governor Lakshman Acharya.

The clashes in Jiribam broke out a day after militants fired rockets at two spots, including the home of the state’s first chief minister in Bishnupur district, killing one person and injuring five.

The conflict in the state has ratcheted up since September 1, with militants turning to newer technologies such as drones and rockets even as the use of rifles and grenades continued unabated. Last Sunday, one person was killed as militants used drones to drop explosives. Since then, Kuki militants have used drones to drop explosives at two more places, adding to security woes and prompting the CM to call them “acts of terrorism”.  

In the last six months, security forces have shot down at least 18 drones in the valleys and hills of Manipur. But until September 1, the drones were used by militants on both sides only for surveillance.

“Due to the recent drone attacks, an anti-drone system has been deployed, and the state police is in the process of purchasing additional anti-drone guns, which will be deployed soon,” Jayenta said.

The Centre has also formed a committee of top officers from the police, army, and paramilitary forces to examine the use of explosive-bearing drones. The committee is now preparing a report that it will submit by September 13.

Inspector general of police (intelligence) K Kabib said they have stepped up combing operations to prevent attacks through rockets and drones.

“The combing operations on both sides—hills and valley—have been intensified, focusing on areas from which long-range rockets and drones were fired. These operations will cover a minimum of 3-5 km, concentrating on these areas,” he said.

The senior police officer said during two combing operations at Loibol Khullen and Tingkai Khullen, which border Kangpokpi and Bishnupur districts, a significant cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition was recovered. This included nine sophisticated arms, a modified sniper rifle, 21 different types of ammunition, 21 explosives and grenades, and a wireless set.

Manipur has been in the throes of a violent conflict since May last year. What began as an ethnic conflict between the majority Meiteis and the tribal Kukis has grown into seemingly irreconcilable cleavages within Manipuri society, with at least 230 killed and an estimated 50,000 displaced, armed militia prowling the streets, police forces divided on community lines, and lives being led in enclaves of fear.