A huge contingent of security personnel have been deployed in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district Saturday, a day after a mob attack at the office of Superintendent of Police resulted in the SP and others sustaining injuries.
“The situation is now under control and is being closely monitored,” a senior officer in Imphal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
According to officials, SP Manoj Prabhakar was injured in the attack for failing to “remove” the central armed forces, particularly the BSF and the CRPF, in Saibol village as per the demands of Kuki groups.
The SP is “fine now and presently leading the joint security forces in tackling the situation”, the police later said in a statement on Friday.
In videos emerging from Kangpokpi, armed individuals dressed in camouflage clothing were purportedly seen walking on the streets, carrying what appear to be sophisticated weapons. Images and videos also showed damaged vehicles on the premises of the SP office.
While Prabhakar was injured after being hit on the forehead by some projectile, A few protesters, who sustained injuries during the clashes, were also been admitted to hospital, officials said.
In its statement, the police said that besides stones and other “projectiles”, the protesters attacked the SP office with petrol bombs. “Security forces retaliated against the mob and resorted to the use of adequate force to disperse the mob and the situation was brought under control,” it said.
Meanwhile, locals claimed that several people were injured in the action by the security forces that happened in Saibol village in Twiching. They also estimate that 15 people from the mob were injured.
This area is located in the so-called ‘buffer zone’ between the Kuki-held Hills and Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.
For many days before security forces moved into Saibol village, several civilians and security personnel had been injured in gunfire in Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi villages in the Imphal East district. The gunfights between armed groups are said to have injured four people, including a police personnel.
In the wake of the situation, security personnel launched joint operations and destroyed multiple bunkers. On Monday, security forces started trying to move into and occupy the Saibol area.
Kuki organisations began protesting against central forces in the area after women of the community were allegedly baton-charged on December 31 for blocking their way. They said that the local women had gathered to protest what they described as the “forceful occupation” of community bunkers by security personnel.
Protesting the December 31 action by security forces, the Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) blocked the critical transportation route of National Highway 2, disrupting the movement of goods to the Imphal Valley where the Meiteis live.
More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023.
With inputs from PTI
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