Guwahati/Imphal
- The CRPF and Manipur police have shot dead 10 suspected Kuki militants who attacked their post and police station in Jiribam district on Monday, in the latest flare up in violence in the strife-torn northeastern State. The casualties are the biggest in a single incident this year.
- “Today, 11th November, 2024 at about 3 pm, the CRPF Post located at Jakuradhor and Borobekra Police Station (located nearby), Jiribam District were attacked by armed militants. The security forces retaliated strongly. Due to the attack, one CRPF constable namely Sanjeev Kumar sustained bullet injury and has been evacuated to Silchar Medical College, Assam and is under treatment. The attack was fiercely retaliated by CRPF and Civil Police. After 40 – 45 minutes of heavy exchange of fire, the situation was brought under control.
“After the firing ceased, the area was searched and 10 (ten) dead bodies of armed militants were recovered along with arms and ammunition (3 nos. of AKs, 4nos. of SLRs, 2 nos. of INSAS, 01 no. of RPG, 01 no. of Pump Action Gun, BP Helmets and Magazines) Accordingly, a criminal case has been registered and is being investigated into. Operations in and around Jakuradhor, under Borobekra Police Station, Jiribam District continues to flush out armed militants. Reinforcement teams consisting of Assam Rifles, CRPF and Civil Police have been rushed there,” the Manipur Police posted on its X handle.
- The incident occurred around 3 pm on Monday at an area close to the hills of Pherzawl district that has the Hmar community in majority. All the 10 militants killed belonged to the Hmar tribe. Incidentally, last week, a woman from the Hmar tribe was killed by suspected Meitei insurgents, who also set houses on fire in Jiribam. Her husband in a police case alleged she was raped before she was killed.
- The CRPF and Manipur Police retaliated the attack launched from two sides by the Kuki militants, who also set around 10 houses on fire. The police station in Jiribam’s Borobekra had been targeted several times in recent months. In fact, as per media reports, the militants had started attacking Meitei settlements and other locations from the wee hours itself on Monday.
- The status of five civilians remains unknown following the incident as it not yet clear whether they have been abducted or in hiding
- Kuki-Zo groups in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi have called for a total shutdown on Tuesday in protest against the killings by the forces.
- Elsewhere in separate attacks, two persons sustained bullet injuries in Imphal East and Bishnupur districts.
- Meanwhile, all the 10 Kuki-Zo legislators from the State in a joint statement have said that the Centre’s submission in the Supreme Court last week that Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had met all Kuki MLAs to bring peace in the State was a blatant lie and amounted to misleading the court. The MLAs, including those from the BJP, said they had not had any meeting with the Chief Minister since May 3, 2023, nor did they intend to meet him in the future as “he was the mastermind behind the violence”.
