• Cop killed, weapons stolen as mobs clash with Security Forces in violence-hit Manipur

    North East
    Cop killed, weapons stolen as mobs clash with Security Forces in violence-hit Manipur
    The security forces stopped the mob's attempts to steal weapons and ammunition from the Heingang and Singjamei police posts.


    Digital Desk: In the Bishnupur district of Imphal West Manipur, a mob ransacked at least two security posts on Thursday, killing one police officer in the process. The angry mob then went to the security posts to loot automatic weapons and ammunition.

    According to the Manipur Police, a group of men and women stormed the Keirenphabi and Thangalawai police outposts of the second battalion of the Manipur Armed Police in the Bishnupur area before stealing the guns.

    The security forces stopped the mob's attempts to steal weapons and ammunition from the Heingang and Singjamei police stations.

    An official statement claims that as a result, armed attackers and security forces engaged in firing in the areas of Koutruk, Haraothel, and Senjam Chirang. In the crossfire, at least two persons, including a security guard, were injured.

    In Senham Chirang in Imphal West, a Manipur Police officer was killed after being shot in the head by a sniper. Suspected militants fired three bullets in Koutruk and Senjam Chirang from the nearby hill ranges, injuring a local volunteer as well.

    Around 500 to 600 people gathered at Phougakchao Ikhai on the boundary between Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts. To disperse the throng, security personnel also fired tear gas shells, inflicting minor injuries on about 25 persons.

    The state has continued to be volatile and stressful over the past 24 hours, according to the police statement, with periodic shooting events and the assembly of disorderly mobs in various locations.

    It should be noted that Manipur's hill and valley districts both have up to 129 checkpoints put up. According to the police, approximately 1,047 persons have been detained thus far about the violence in several regions of the northeastern state.

    The Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur have been engaged in ethnic violence as a result of the Meitei's demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) classification. Hundreds of people have died in the violence, and many more have been displaced.