10 Jun. 24: The situation in Manipur’s Jiribam district remained tense but under control on Sunday after suspected militants set fire to two police outposts and at least 70 houses, according to police reports.
Following the violent outbreak on Saturday, additional security forces have been deployed to stabilize the affected areas. The Manipur Police stated, “The situation is tense but under control in the wake of violent disturbances that broke out in Jiribam district in which miscreants torched two police pickets, a forest beat office… and several houses belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities.”
The recent violence, which began Thursday evening, followed the killing of 59-year-old Soibam Saratkumar Singh, whose body was found with wounds from a sharp object. In the wake of his murder, over 70 houses in Lamtai Khunou, Dibong Khunou, Nunkhal, and Begra villages were set ablaze. Police are closely monitoring social media for posts that may incite further communal tensions, urging the public to avoid spreading unverified information.
Amid the unrest, a mob intercepted a truck at Sorok Atingbi Khunou on Saturday night, setting fire to the essential commodities it carried. More than 70 state police commandos were airlifted from Imphal to Jiribam to support local security operations.
Approximately 239 Meitei people, primarily women and children, were evacuated from peripheral areas of Jiribam and moved to a relief camp set up at a multi-sports complex in the district.
In response to the violence, the state government transferred Jiribam SP A Ghanashyam Sharma to a new position at the Manipur Police Training College. This transfer followed the burning of the Jiri Mukh and Choto Bekra police outposts and the Goakhal forest beat office.
Reacting to the incidents, newly elected Congress MP from Inner Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, called on the Manipur government to protect the lives and properties of Jiribam residents. Jiribam, home to a diverse ethnic mix of Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis, and non-Manipuris, had until now largely escaped the ethnic violence that has plagued Manipur since May last year.
The ongoing conflict between the Imphal valley-based Meiteis and the hill-based Kukis has resulted in over 200 deaths and thousands of displaced individuals, underscoring the urgent need for peace and stability in the region.
