Fresh violence in Manipur, commando shot dead amid gunfight

Fresh violence erupted in Manipur on Wednesday morning as security forces exchanged fire with Kuki militants in the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district. A police commando has died in the gunfight.

According to reports, the suspected Kuki militants threw bombs and fired at a security post near SBI Moreh. The security forces responded with retaliatory fire. One security personnel, who had sustained injuries in the encounter, passed away.

The violence comes two days after two people suspected of killing a police officer were arrested in Moreh.

The Manipur government has imposed a total curfew in the district fearing “breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity and grave danger to human lives and property within the revenue jurisdiction of Tengnoupal”.

The law enforcement agencies and essential services are exempt from the curfew.

On Tuesday night, village volunteers exchanged fire with suspected Kuki militants at Koutruk village in Imphal West district. The central government forces halted the firing.

According to PTI, the local police arrested Phillip Khongsai and Hemokholal Mate on Monday for allegedly murdering SDPO Ch Anand in October last year. The two had fired at the vehicles of the security personnel following which police chased and overpowered them.

They were remanded to nine-days police custody.

One pistol with two live rounds, one Chinese hand grenade, ten live rounds of AK ammunition and ten detonators were seized from their possession, police said.

Scores of women had turned up to protest outside the Moreh police station demanding their “unconditional release”.