In a significant escalation of violence in Manipur, 10 suspected Kuki militants were killed by security forces in Jiribam district on Monday. The incident took place around 3 pm at Jukoradhor Karong as part of ongoing hostilities in the region. The police reported that a CRPF jawan was injured during the altercation. Following the incident, district authorities imposed a curfew in the area to control the escalating tensions.
According to official sources, the suspected militants launched bomb attacks at multiple locations, including Lamtai Khunou and shops at Jukoradhor Karong, around 4 am on Monday. These assaults marked the beginning of a day filled with violence and uncertainty. The militants reportedly began driving Meitei residents out of the vicinity, which lies just 100 meters from the Borobekra police station. Subsequently, they also allegedly fired shots towards the station, which currently houses personnel from the CRPF, police, and other security forces.
The violence wasn’t confined to Jiribam alone, as tensions spilt over to other parts of the state. In Imphal East district, a 35-year-old farmer named Rashok Horam, belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community, was injured during an attack by suspected Kuki militants. The incident took place when a group of farmers was harvesting crops in Yaingangpokpi. According to Horam, approximately ten farmers were working in the field when gunfire erupted from a nearby hillside. He sustained multiple pellet injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences.
Meanwhile, another person was injured in a separate incident in Bishnupur district. The victim, identified as 38-year-old Ningombam Chaoba of Ahallup Awang Leikai, sustained a bullet wound near his right spine. Chaoba and other farmers were working in the paddy fields of Litanpokpi near Saiton village when they came under fire from the Dampi hill range, which falls under Churachandpur district jurisdiction. He was rushed to a private hospital in Imphal for treatment.
The recent spate of attacks has further intensified the ongoing unrest in Manipur, with multiple communities caught in the crossfire of rising ethnic tensions. The imposition of a curfew in Jiribam is an effort to prevent the violence from spiralling further out of control, while security forces continue to be on high alert across the region. The violence involving suspected Kuki militants has raised fresh concerns about the safety of civilians, prompting the state government to reassess security measures in sensitive areas.
These incidents are part of a broader pattern of violence that has gripped Manipur in recent months, creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust among communities. The state administration is striving to restore peace, but the challenges posed by sporadic militant activities remain substantial.