Guwahati/Imphal: In a new wave of violence that has reignited the ethnic conflict between non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur, a gunfight between security forces and armed miscreants took place Tuesday morning in the Kuki-Zo dominated areas of Moreh in Tengnoupal district.
Local sources in Moreh told ThePrint that Tuesday’s incident was the fourth instance of firing in the border town since 30 December, when gunfights were reported from at least three Kuki-Zo areas during joint search operations by Manipur police commandos and Assam Rifles personnel. This was followed by three days of gunfight, sometimes in the evening hours, the sources added.
According to Manipur Police, “armed groups launched an attack on a joint team of Security Forces in Moreh, employing gunfire and explosives. The security forces responded with a strong counteroffensive”.
In a post on social media platform X (previously Twitter) late Tuesday evening, police stated that six security personnel sustained splinter injuries during the gunfight.
The injured include Manipur Police commandos and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.
The firing that started during joint cordon-and-search operations by security forces at Canan Veng and Chavangphai village (Ward No. 7) in Moreh reportedly lasted for about three-four hours.
“The firing took place just 500 metres from our basti [neighbourhood], at about 8-8:30am. We heard bursts every 10 minutes. It went on till about 1:30pm,” said a local resident on condition of anonymity.
Those injured were shifted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal Tuesday morning.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh later visited RIMS hospital to meet the injured security personnel. He also reviewed the arrangements and spoke with the families of the wounded.
In an address to the media in state capital Imphal later in the day, the Chief Minister said that sophisticated weapons were used by suspected militants in Tuesday’s attack, suggesting the involvement of “foreign mercenaries from Myanmar side”.
Terming Tuesday’s incident a “terrorist activity”, Singh said there is “high possibility” of the involvement of Kuki National Organisation/Kuki National Army (KNO/KNA-Burma), that reportedly operates along the border with India in Myanmar townships like Tonjang and Tamu.
“We have seen some of the videos leaked by the militant group where they were using sophisticated weapons. The Central forces and state forces are countering them. And now, search operations and combing operations are widely going on, reinforcements have also been sent,” said the chief minister.
Singh added: “We have doubt of the involvement of foreign mercenaries from Myanmar. It is our commitment to the people of the state, and the rest of India that we will not succumb to such kinds of threats. We will take necessary possible measures to counter such terrorist activities.”
The chief minister said that the security operations in Moreh and other parts of Manipur are conducted jointly by state and central security forces, and are with the “consent and approval” of the Central government.
Meanwhile, security sources told ThePrint that the involvement of KNO/KNA-B has not been corroborated yet, and no infiltration has happened along the Indo-Myanmar border in Moreh. However, the sources added that assault rifles have been used in these incidents.
Kuki-Zo groups in Tengnoupal have on their part alleged that it was the stationing of “Meitei militants” and armed police commandos of the Manipur Police, which led to the gunfight and called for a shutdown in all Kuki-Zo areas Wednesday “to protest against the atrocities of the Meitei state forces”.
Also read: After receiving report of ‘firefight’, security forces find 13 dead in remote Manipur village
Kuki Inpi rules out “foreign hand”
In a clarification submitted by the civil society group of Village Volunteers Tengnoupal district Tuesday evening, it was alleged that the state government is blaming Kuki militant groups “to conceal the stationing of Meitei militants and Arambai Tenggol (armed group) members among the Manipur Police commandos in Moreh town”.
“The gunfight broke out when Meitei militants, Arambai Tenggol, masquerading as police commandos went to burn down Chavangphai…” read the statement.
ThePrint has reached the superintendent of police, Tengnoupal against the allegations. The report will be updated once a response is received.
A local resident in Moreh also said that two Kuki-Zo civilians were picked up by the Manipur police commandos early Tuesday and badly beaten up. The condition of one is stated to be critical.
Speaking to ThePrint, Kaikholal Haokip, spokesperson of the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, the apex body representing Kuki-Zo civilians in the district said “no foreign hand is involved in this incident”.
“…They are all Kuki village volunteers. Since the fresh induction of the Manipur police commandos into Moreh in the past one month, people including women and children had been living in fear. In the past three days of fighting, half of the population has fled to the outskirts and towards Churachandpur side. The other half staying in Moreh are scared for their lives. When the firing starts, they run and hide in the forest, and once it stops, they get back into the houses,” Haokip said.
Shutdown called against alleged atrocities
Meanwhile, Kuki-Zo civil society organisations (CSO) like the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) have called for a 24-hour total shutdown in all Kuki-Zo areas Wednesday — “to protest against the atrocities of the Meitei state forces and to demand their removal from all Kuki-Zo districts in Manipur”, said a joint declaration issued by the organisations Tuesday evening.
“The people of Moreh have pleaded with the central government since May to replace Meitei state forces with neutral central security forces, and Home Minister Amit Shah said on 31 May that all Meitei forces would be removed within three days. Later, the minister in his meeting with ITLF leaders said he would ensure central forces work in conjunction with state forces..,” the declaration mentioned.
It added: “We urge the central government to remove all Meitei state forces, especially commandos, from Moreh and the surrounding tribal-majority settlements. There can be no peace as long as they are deployed in the area.”
The declaration warned that if Meitei forces are allowed to continue operating and harassing Kuki-Zo tribals, “the government will be held responsible for any future security issues”.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
Also read: CBI chargesheets 5 in ‘suspected killings’ of Meitei teens that triggered protests in Manipur