Militants torch police outpost, set several houses on fire in Manipur's Jiribam

IMPHAL: In a recent incident, suspected militants set fire to a police outpost and several houses in Jiribam district of Manipur, officials reported on Saturday. The attack on the Jiri police outpost, situated in Chotobekra area near the Barak river, occurred around 12.30 am. Taking advantage of the darkness, the gunmen, believed to be hill-based militants, also carried out multiple attacks in Lamtai khunou and Modhupur area of the district, which is approximately 220 km from Imphal, the state capital.
According to a district official based in Jiribam, several houses have been burnt, primarily in the peripheral areas of the district, although the exact number is yet to be confirmed. In response to the situation, a commando contingent of Manipur Police was airlifted from Imphal to Jiribam on Saturday morning to support the security operations against the militants.
Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, the newly elected Congress MP from the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, called upon the state government to ensure the protection of lives and properties of the people in Jiribam district. During a press conference, Akoijam stated, "I have talked with district officials of Jiribam. They said some reinforcements have reached. While those in the town are being provided security, those in peripheral areas are not being provided security."
Officials reported that approximately 239 people, mostly women and children, have been evacuated from their villages in Jiribam district and are currently seeking shelter at the sports complex in Jiri town. This evacuation follows the outbreak of violence after the killing of a man allegedly by militants on June 6. In response to the incident, the Jiribam district administration imposed an indefinite curfew in the district. The killing has reignited ethnic tensions in the district, which had previously remained unaffected by the ongoing violence in Manipur since May last year.
Jiribam district, known for its diverse ethnic composition, including Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis, and non-Manipuris, had thus far been spared from the ethnic conflict between the Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the hills-based Kukis. This conflict has claimed the lives of over 200 people and left thousands homeless.