Manipur violence: Three killed, three injured in fresh violence; curfew hours slashed

Pic/PTI

Three persons including a father-son duo were killed by militants in Manipur's Bishnupur district late night on Friday, the police officials told news agency PTI.

The three were gunned down while they were sleeping and later slashed with swords at Kwakta in the district, police said on Saturday morning, adding that the assailants came from Churachandpur, reported PTI.

"The three used to stay in a relief camp but had returned to their residences at Kwakta on Friday after the situation had improved," police told PTI.

Soon after the incident, an irate mob gathered at Kwakta and wanted to head towards Churachandpur but was stopped by security personnel, police said.

"Three persons including one policeman were injured following heavy exchange of fire between state forces and militants near Kwakta on Saturday morning. The policeman sustained splinter injuries on his face. All the three have been brought to Raj Medicity in Imphal for treatment. They are out of danger," police told PTI.

Meanwhile, the district administration has shortened curfew relaxation hours in the twin Imphal districts because of the violence.

"Instead of curfew relaxation from 5am to 6pm in the twin Imphal districts, it has now been shortened to 5am to 10.30am," an official told PTI.

On August 4, Manipur police said a joint security force conducted an operation in the Koutruk hill range and destroyed as many as seven illegal bunkers.

Meanwhile, the 24-hour general strike called by the co-ordinating committee of 27 assembly constituencies in Manipur on Saturday paralysed normal life in Imphal Valley, with markets and business establishments remaining shut in almost all localities.

Meanwhile, amid the Opposition's demand for imposition of President's Rule in light of ethnic strife and violence that has ripped Manipur apart for the better part of three months now, the state Cabinet on Friday recommended that Governor Anusuiya Uikey summon a session of the Assembly on August 21.

The Northeast state has been in the throes of violence, claiming over 100 lives so far and displacing thousands of people. Clashes broke out between Metei and Kuki communities on May 3 days after the Manipur High Court asked the state government to consider adding the former, the majority community in the state, to the list of Scheduled Tribes.

(With inputs from PTI)