Image Credits - India TV News
The northeastern state of Manipur in India has witnessed a spike in violence over the past two days, resulting in at least three deaths and serious injuries to twelve individuals, including seven members of the security forces, as per official reports.
Unidentified assailants, clad in camouflage uniforms, launched an attack in the Lilong region of Thoubal district on Monday. This assault led to three deaths and five injuries. In a separate event on Tuesday, suspected foreign mercenaries ambushed a security convoy in Moreh, a town on the Myanmar border. The ambush, involving rocket-propelled grenades and other automatic firearms, critically injured at least seven security personnel.
In response to these incidents, an indefinite curfew has been reinstated in Thoubal district and four neighbouring districts – Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, and Bishnupur. The identities of the three victims from Monday’s attack are yet to be disclosed, and the suspected identities of the attackers remain uncertain.
An anonymous police official reported to Reuters that “Four police commandos and three BSF (Border Security Force) troopers are now in a critical condition.” The Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, speculated that the attackers were likely “Myanmar-based mercenaries”, and declared that the government “will not succumb to this kind of pressure”.
This recent surge in violence adds to the growing tensions in Manipur, where intense clashes between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities have resulted in at least 180 deaths since May. The clashes were sparked by a court order proposing that the privileges enjoyed by the Kukis should also be extended to the Meiteis.
Manipur, a small state bordering Myanmar, has a population of 3.2 million. Of these, 16% are Kukis who reside in the hills and are beneficiaries of economic advantages and quotas for government employment and education, while 53% are Meiteis who live in the more affluent lowlands.