Gun battles in several Manipur districts, curfew timings reduced

Multiple incidents of gun fights between the security forces and the armed groups were reported from at least four districts in the strife-torn Manipur with injuries on both sides on Sunday, officials said.

Police officials in Imphal said that the gun battles were reported from Churachandpur, Kakching, Imphal East and Imphal West districts.

Several Manipur police commandos and unidentified armed group members were injured in these encounters. The injured police commandos were immediately taken to the hospitals.

The identity of the armed groups was not known immediately. Further details of these incidents are awaited.

To control the situation, additional security forces were deployed in all the troubled districts and the district administrations have cut short the curfew relaxation period by three hours in these districts.

Capital city Imphal falls in the Imphal East and Imphal West districts. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai since Thursday and Army Chief General Manoj Pande since Saturday have been visiting trouble-torn Manipur. Efforts were being made to restore peace and normalcy and meetings were being held with various stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also expected to visit Manipur for three days on Monday to take stock of the situation and resolve the ethnic crisis. He is likely to meet with representatives of all communities, including Meitei and Kuki communities and urge them to maintain peace and harmony.

Eastern Command Army chief Lt. Gen. R.P. Kalita visited Manipur's several sensitive and mixed-populated districts from May 22-24 to assess and review the ground security situation.

Amid the sporadic incidents of violence, Manipur government on Saturday extended the suspension of Internet services till May 31 to prevent the spread of rumours and videos, photos, and messages, which might affect the law and order situation in the ethnic-violence hit state.

The northeastern state witnessed widespread violent clashes and attacks in more than 10 districts after the May 3 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category, claiming over 70 lives and injuring more than 300 people.