After a lull of four days, Manipur reported fresh violence in which two army jawans were injured in firing in Imphal West district while three civilians received minor injuries due to a suspected IED blast in Bishnupur district.
Army said that armed miscreants resorted to "unprovoked" firing at N Boljang in Imphal West district on Thursday morning. The army troops retaliated but two jawans received minor injuries. One light machine gun was recovered during a search conducted by the army. Additional columns were inducted and a massive combing operation was launched against the miscreants, army said.
An eight-year-old boy and a teenager were among three persons who were injured after an IED planted in a SUV went off near a culvert between Kwata and Phougakchao in Bishnupur district on Wednesday evening. The road connects the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur with Imphal valley. Security officials suspected that the IED could have been planted in order to destroy the culvert for disrupting road communication between Imphal Valley and the hills.
The culvert, however, remained unaffected.
Police said they are yet to reach a conclusion about how the three persons were caught in the blast. The vehicle was completely damaged in the explosion, they said.
Security agencies have made more deployment and are using surveillance equipment to maintain vigil on the roads that connect the hills with Imphal Valley. They received intelligence inputs that the miscreants might try to destroy the bridges and culverts in order to prevent swift movement of the troops and essential commodities for the affected people.
The fresh attacks were reported days after CM N. Biren Singh asked the Meitei "armed miscreants" and the Kuki insurgents to stop violence or face consequences. "I asked Kuki insurgent groups in suspension of operation to stop violence or face the consequences. I also appeal to the Meitei armed miscreants not to attack anyone and maintain peace," Singh told reporters on June 19.
Manipur has remained in turmoil for the past 50 days (since May 3) due to clashes between sections of the Meitei and the Kuki communities in which at least 115 people have been killed and over 60,000 others have been displaced. The sporadic incidents of violence, however, continued despite appeals by the government and combing operations by the security forces, including the army.