Fresh violence kills 5 in Manipur

Kathmandu: At least five people have been killed in Manipur after fresh violence broke out on Sunday, including a policeman.

The latest violence has also left 12 people injured. Talking to reporters after the clashes broke out, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said nearly 40 armed terrorists involved in torching houses and at firing at civilians have been killed by security forces since they began an operation to bring peace to the northeastern state beset by ethnic rioting.

He also said that there had been cases of armed terrorists firing at civilians with AK-47s, M-16 and sniper rifles.

The fresh violence broke out ahead of Amit Shah’s visit to the state. Shah, the home minister of India, is scheduled to visit the violence-struck state on Monday. He will stay there for three days and study the situation to find a solution to the ongoing ethnic clashes, the Zee News reported.

The ethnic clashes, which have so far claimed more than 75 lives in Manipur, broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.

Around 140 columns of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, comprising over 10,000 personnel, besides those from other paramilitary forces had to be deployed and mobile internet was suspended to bring back normalcy in the northeastern state.