GURUGRAM: Intense firing was reported from Manipur on Sunday, a day after five persons lost their lives in three separate incidents while 15 abandoned houses were torched.
According to reports reaching here, violence erupted in two adjoining villages on the border of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts around 5 pm, during which shots were fired intermittently. Locals said they also heard the sound of bomb blasts.
The 15 abandoned houses were torched by a rampaging mob at Langol Games village in the restive Imphal West district on Saturday evening. The security personnel had to use force to control the arsonists. A 45-year-old man was shot in the leg during the violence and admitted to a hospital in Imphal.
The arson attack was carried out hours after suspected militants killed three persons, including a father-son duo, in Kwakta area of Bishnupur district in the wee hours. Later in the day, two tribals were killed. One died when a crude bomb he was carrying exploded accidentally. The other was killed in a gun battle.
An additional 10 companies of central forces have been deployed to the state to aid the existing forces in combatting the prevailing volatile situation. Over 35,000 personnel of Army and paramilitary forces have remained deployed in the state since May.
The 10 companies – five from Central Reserve Police Force, three from Border Security Force and one each from Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal – arrived on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Meitei civil society organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) announced an indefinite boycott of the state government for failing to convene a special session of the Assembly.
During a mass rally on July 29, it had announced a five-point charter of demands. One was that the government convene the special session of the Assembly by Augus 5. The COCOMI asked people to boycott the government till the demands are fulfilled.
A delegation of Kuki-Zo organisation Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum left Churachandpur for Mizoram capital Aizawl by road on Sunday. It will leave for New Delhi on Monday to hold a discussion with Union home minister Amit Shah. They will discuss the stalemate surrounding the proposed burial of 35 bodies of tribals who were killed in the violence earlier.