Manipur: Hundreds walk with empty coffins demanding justice for those killed in Jiribam gunfight

Churachandpur: Hundreds of people walked in a march with empty coffins in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Tuesday, demanding justice for those killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Jiribam.

Ten suspected militants were killed in the gunfight with security forces last week after insurgents in camouflage uniforms, armed with sophisticated weapons, fired indiscriminately at the Borobekra police station and an adjacent CRPF camp at Jakuradhor in Jiribam, according to the Manipur Police.

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The rally, organised by the Joint Philanthropic Organisation (JPO), started around 11 am. Hundreds of people participated in it with placards demanding justice for those killed, and a separate administration in the hill areas.

The march concluded at the 'Wall of Remembrance', a memorial for the Kuki people killed in the ethnic violence in the state since May last year.

Later, a memorandum addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah was submitted to the district administration.

The Kuki-Zo groups have been claiming that those killed in Jiribam were village volunteers. However, the state police pointed to a huge number of arms and ammunition that were found at the spot after the gunfight was over to counter the claim.

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.

The ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the clashes, began to witness violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this year.