Manipur Violence: An encounter broke out between security forces and suspected Kuki militants in Manipur’s Moreh district on Wednesday morning, after which the news of the death of a CDO officer has come to light. According to the police, the militants threw bombs and opened fire at a security post near SBI Moreh, following which the security forces retaliated.
Suspected Kuki militants opened fire on a security forces’ post in the border town, 48 hours after state forces arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of a police officer, police said. Earlier, the Manipur government had imposed complete curfew in Tengnoupal from 12 midnight on January 16 after receiving information regarding “disturbance of peace, disturbance of public harmony and grave threat to human life and property”.
The firing lasted for more than two hours
The order issued by the District Magistrate of Tengnoupal said that the curfew will not apply to “government agencies involved in law and order enforcement and essential services”. Meanwhile, a report said that a gunfight broke out for more than two hours on Tuesday night between village volunteers and suspected Kuki militants in Kautruk village of Imphal West district. Officials said the attackers stopped firing after central security forces reached the area.
According to the police officer, firearms and ammunition have been recovered from the possession of the suspects. Officials said a large number of women had protested in front of the Moreh police station demanding the “unconditional release” of the two suspects. Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal (KIT), Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) of Churachandpur district and Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) of Kangpokpi district have condemned the arrest of the two.
The police had arrested Philip Khongsai and Hemokholal Mate, the two main suspects in the murder case of Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) C Anand in October last year. Both of them had fired at the vehicles of security personnel, after which the police chased them and caught them. Police said that later both were produced before the Judicial Magistrate of Moreh from where they were sent to nine days police custody.
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