Two persons belonging to the Metei community were killed in a gunfight with armed forces in Manipur’s Kangkopi on Thursday and tensions heightened in the region following two relatively quiet weeks, The Indian Express reported.
The bodies were recovered in Haraothel village in Kangpokpi district’s border with Imphal West after heavy firing.
According to Army inputs, the took place at around 5.30 am with an attack on the Kuki village Haraothel, which was followed by retaliatory firing from the Kuki side. Following this, two columns of Assam Rifles deployed at National Sports University and K Munlai were mobilised and sent to the area.
Also Read: Manipur crisis: Indian Army says women protesters interfering in operations, releases video evidence
“While en route to the site, own columns drew effective fire from armed rioters. Own troops responded in a calibrated manner to prevent any collateral damage. Swift action by troops resulted in cessation of firing. Additional columns were moved to the area,” an Army spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
The incident set off fresh tensions in the heart of Imphal on Thursday evening with hundreds taking to the street to decry the deaths.
The mob had gathered at Khwairanband Bazaar in the heart of Imphal where the body of a man killed earlier in the morning in a gunfight in Kangpokpi district was brought and placed in a traditional coffin.
Demonstrators gathered, and the mob threatened to carry it in a procession to the chief minister’s residence, officials said. They were also seen burning tyres in the middle of the road to prevent police from arresting them.
After protesters came out on the streets, defying curfew orders and demanding justice, police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the angry mob.
Manipur violence
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.
Also Read: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives in Imphal on two-day visit to violence-hit Manipur, to visit relief camps
Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.