A personnel of Assam Rifles was injured during a gunfight in Manipur's Imphal East district on Wednesday but the situation in the rest of the state remained peaceful.
Army sources told DH that the jawan received bullet injuries at around 11am when unknown armed persons fired at a team of Assam Rifles during area domination exercise in a place called Dolaithabi. The injured person was airlifted to a military hospital for treatment, the army said.
Sources said a combing operation was under way in search of the miscreants but other violent incidents were reported from the rest of Manipur on Wednesday.
Multi-pronged strategy
From swift movement of troops by using the IAF aircrafts, area domination, use of aviation assets for aerial surveillance and quick mobilisation of the community support bases for evacuation of the stranded persons, army and other central security forces used multi-pronged strategy to contain violence in the state. Army was called in on May 4 after clashes broke out between the majority Meitei and the tribal Kukis in Churachandpur, a Hills district. The violence broke out during a "solidarity march" to protest BJP government's reported move to give ST status to the Meiteis. Kukis, who are largely Christians, are against the move.
At least 60 persons have died, over 200 others injured and over 35,000 persons have been displaced due to the riot. Nearly 2,000 houses belonging to both the Kuki and Meitei community have been burnt down.
As the Centre took over law and order in Manipur on May 4, troops of Army, Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force were airlifted from air bases in Assam by using IAF's C17 globemaster aircrafts and AN-32 transport aircrafts. As the army started flag marches and continued efforts to reach out to the riot-hit persons and shift them to military garrisons and security posts, the forces continued to mobilise the local community leaders in order to prevent further violence. As the violence was contained, aerial surveillance was conducted by using the UAVs and Cheetah helicopters to keep watch on the vulnerable areas as well as those along the India-Myanmar borders in order to prevent use of the routes by militants taking shelter in Myanmar. The stranded persons have also been evacuated to their homes or safe locations.
A total of 128 columns of Army and Assam Rifles, UAVs and other aerial surveillance assets have been pressed into service so far, said Lt. Col. Mahendra Rawat, a defence spokesperson based in Guwahati, Assam, on Wednesday.